


In their Hands

by sushi_tushi



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Declarations Of Love, F/F, F/M, Growing Friendships, Little Turds, Love, M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Redemption, Sometimes Serious, Strong Bonds, Tension, friendships, little shits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-05-15 07:17:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 79,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5776546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushi_tushi/pseuds/sushi_tushi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey finds a new Force-Sensitive to learn the ways of the Jedi by her side but Kylo wants them for himself to rebuild the Sith.<br/>Snoke is dying and Luke Skywalker has vanished again. It's up to the disciples to carry on the teachings in their ways of the Force.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

The wind blew hard on her head, trying its' hardest to knock her over. Not only was the wind picking up, but the intensity of her meditation as well. Meditation was not meant to make sweat bead on the brow. It was supposed to help calm you, to ease your senses. For Rey, meditation was doing the exact opposite for her. She couldn't possibly find serenity at this time.

She had been training with Master Luke for months now. Not that she hadn't appreciated it, but she was so agitated. The level of calmness he was always on had her suspicious. His longtime friend had died and he seemed to have had no feelings toward it. She thought that even the Jedi would at least pay respects to someone they had known. But one of the many teachings he had for Rey was that, it's easiest to not have very close connections. "Fear of loss is the path to the Dark Side. For fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." Rey didn't believe that that was a reason not to mourn someone's death, however she knew that she still had a lot to learn in the ways of the Jedi.

She ended her meditation and stood on her morning spot on one of the peaks of the island. She chose this peak specifically because when she was at the top of it, she would see nothing but the ocean. On the other peaks she could see the rest of the island(s) or other peaks in her peripheral vision. This one was exactly what she had wanted.

She stretched hard, working out any kinks in her body. She breathed in the cool air of the ocean, a better way to calm her senses. After years of smelling dirt and sand, this was a smell she thought she would never tire of. The sharp smell of salt lingered in her nostrils, filling her lungs, calming her down.

She formed a series of stances warming up for her morning training. Master Luke and herself always took time in the sun's wake to meditate and warm-up for the days exercises. When ready, she climbed down the peak and awaited Master Luke on the field they met on every morning, staring out into the ocean.

It was a good life she found herself in. Very different than what she would have ever thought, but that's just how life works. _Strange mysterious ways_ an elderly lady had once told her. She never thought her life would become this strange or mysterious. To this day, that woman was right. She half-smiled, reminding herself that not all of her memories on Jakku were sad, lonely ones. She closed her eyes, and drifted into daydreams.

Her eyes had been closed, for what seemed like a few minutes as she waited, but when she had opened them, it was midday. She didn't know how she had let so much time pass, or why Master Luke hadn't shown up to their usual training sessions for the day. She stretched again, her body stiff from standing perfectly still, for that long. _How unusual of Master Luke_. After looking in the immediate areas, she began an island-wide search.

After searching nearly the whole island, there was only one last place to look.

His meditating morning spot.

Rey had never been up there, she felt it was his place away from her. As hers was away from him. She felt an odd sensation of guilt as she began to trek to the top of his hill.

"Master Luke!" She called out, with no answer. She had hoped to get an answer before she had to go all the way to the top. She waited a little longer. Nothing. She went against her will and continued on. Her mind went back to why he wouldn't attend the session today. After months of being here together, they never missed a day. Sure, some mornings she would wait a few minutes for him, and he, a few for her. But they had never gone hours without training.

She called for him again, only meters away from his spot. With a disappointed sigh, she closed in on those meters. Only to find him lying on his side, unconscious.

"Master Luke!" She rushed to him, turning him on his back. She had found dried foam at his mouth, and pupils dilated, he was breathing, and his heart rate matched hers. She had seen it before, an elderly woman on Jakku had a seizure right before her. Rey was shoved out of the way before she could see what would happen to her. She didn't know what happened then, and didn't know what to do now. Her breathing intensified, she was beginning to panic. _No, He needs your help. Be strong for Him._ She reassured herself to stay composed and professional.

She didn't even know if this was a civilized planet. She had never been off of the island.

 _The Resistance_.

It was the only solution she could think of. Also the only reasonable one. She composed herself a final time. She stood up, and walked around him, grabbing his ankle with her left hand, she dived into a shoulder roll towards his groin, before her head landed on his hip, she wrapped her right arm around his hamstring, lifting his body onto her back. She stands up on steady legs, and began her trek down to their living quarters.

She laid him down gently onto his sleeping mattress, out of breath, she took a moment to think about how to explain this to the Resistance. The last time she had spoken with someone, was when Poe let her know Finn had woken up. Even then, she couldn't speak long. Master Luke had sessions to teach, and reminded her of having connections. She didn't think calling them was going to be wrong. She didn't know how to help him or wake him up, there could have been something seriously wrong with him, and she wouldn't know how to treat it. Making her decision, she ran to her own quarters, and gripped her radio hard. She dialed the frequency code of Poe Dameron.

Static echoed throughout her hut, which made her the smallest bit nervous. She steadied her breathing, _One breath at a time, Rey._

"Private frequency of Poe Dameron, Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" The familiar suave voice was a heavenly chorus in her ears.

"Poe! Thank goodness. It's Rey, I need your help." She tried not to sound desperate. However, she was desperate.

"Rey! Holy shit, it's been ages!" A pause. "What can I do you for?"

"It's Master Luke, I believe he's had a seizure, he's been unconscious, I don't know for how long and I don't know how to help him. He needs medical attention." She became a little impatient, adding to her agitation.

"Okay, kiddo, I can help you out, but I'm gonna need clearance from the General herself to come get you two." His tone now serious, awaiting another answer from Rey, and she didn't know why.

"Yes, please hurry." Not another word. Only static. Rey took a deep breath. Radio in hand, she went back to Master Luke's quarters to check on him. He had still not awoken. She checked his temperature with her forearm to find that he was warmer than when she had left. With such little medical training she became agitated once again.

She stepped outside and paced in front of his doorway. Checking every few times past, to see if anything had changed. Nothing did.

 

"Rey, come in, Rey" She fumbled the radio in her hands.

"Yes, I'm here."

"I've got clearance to pick up two bodies on Ahch-To and bring them home!" He sounded excited, and happy. "I should be there within the next half hour. Hold tight. Poe Dameron out." She let out a relieved sigh, and sat on her mattress with a huff.

Her eyes flashed back open. She had to get everything together for their trip to the Illenium system. She packed everything she had originally brought with her in her sack, and rushed over to Master Luke's quarters. In his room, she found a sack of his own. She packed any spare robes he owned, and a very large handwritten book. She didn't know what it was, and didn't want to invade his privacy anymore than she already had.

She admired the cover, and ran her fingers over it, slowly, studying the engraves. She looked to Master Luke, then back to the book. She had never seen it before, and was very curious as to what was in it. She decided to pack it, in case it was important to him, and wasn't safe alone.

She took the two sacks down to the area where the Millenium Falcon had dropped her off, believing it was the most ideal place to land for an aircraft. Setting down the bags gently, she looked up to sky for any signs of on aircraft. Nothing yet. With that in mind she climbed back up to the huts.

Using the same technique as earlier, she steadied him on her back, and shimmied their way out of the hut. With her first look out of the hut, she spotted a ship in the sky. Adrenaline beginning to pump within her veins, she went as fast as her legs would take her with the extra weight.

Approaching the landing site, she spotted two familiar faces, and her face lighted up completely.

"Poe! Finn! Over here!" She stopped in her tracks, and balanced herself to free one arm. She waved at them trying to get their attention.

"Rey!" Finn jumped as he heard her voice and immediately started running toward her. Poe following not far behind. As they met up with her, they took Master Luke off her shoulders, splitting his body weight, both of them threw an arm around their shoulders, and grabbed opposite hips and lifted. They ran him into their ship, which Rey had never seen the type of before. But Rey was aware that Poe "could fly anything", so she didn't question it at all. Since they had Master Luke, she grabbed the two sacks and followed them onto the ship.

 

"Rey, I've missed you so much!" Finn trapped Rey into a massive bear hug, cradling her small frame.

"Oh Finn, I've missed you a lot too." She wrapped her arms around him, holding him as close as their bodies would allow. "We have so much to talk about." She smiled, all traces of agitation gone for now.

It didn't take them long to get to the Illenium system, it was as soon as they let go of each other, they had landed.

"Okay, let's get Luke out of here and onto a stretcher." Poe and Finn assumed the same postion as before. Opposites side of an upright Master Luke, and lifted. She grabbed their bags and followed once again.

Taking a deep breath a the vaguely familiar air, she immediately spotted her, in the same spot as she was when they had first met. Meters away from the ship, waiting. She watched Poe and Finn place Master Luke on the stretcher, and she looked him over. Rey had forgotten for a moment that they were siblings. The General placed a hand on Luke's cheek, as she kissed the other. Rey closed the distance between them, looking over Master Luke as well. As the medical team rolled him away, the General and Rey were alone. The General opened her arms as she did once before, and Rey embraced her. Hugging her tight, Rey felt so comfortable she almost let herself shed a tear. She let out a sigh instead, and pulled apart.

"Are you doing all right, Rey?" The General asked her softly, genuinely concerned.

"As of this morning, not the best, but I'm just worried for Master Luke..." Rey responded hesitantly, she was always keeping in mind his teaching of connections, because that also applied to the teacher and student relationship.

"We're all worried for him, but I'm sure he will pull through. Just you wait." She smiled warmly, and went on her way. To her duties, Rey assumed.

Rey felt that now would be the time to try and meditate some more. With Master Luke in trustworthy hands, Poe and Finn busy for now, she would have a few minutes to herself.

She walked not too far from the base, within ear shot of the outskirts. She sat on the ground with a thump, and crossed her legs. Closing her eyes, and opening her mind.

For a reason, Rey knew not of, she stood on ice. She felt the cold on the bare parts of her skin. She breathed in the freezing air.

She felt her eyebrows burrow closer together, intensely wondering why she was seeing and feeling these things.

She heard a drum, behind her... No, in front... beside? All around her, a steady quick beat.

Rey was unsure of how to feel, she was frightened, the beat intensified, and felt as if she was spinning around inside it. Confused and scared, Rey wanted to let go, but couldn't, reality was out of her reach. As she opened her mouth to yell out, it stopped. Everything did. The cold, the drum, the agitation.

She could her her heart beating, and her lungs breathing. Then, a light. almost a small orb. Rey looked closer, careful not to touch it just yet. It glowed a light faded purple color. As she examined it longer, there were small design moving within the orb, like a liquid childs marble.

Ready, and now comfortable she touched it, and only then. Her eyes flashed open. Rey was back to reality for what seemed like a long while, but there seemed to have been no changes in her surroundings. Unsure of what had just happened, she ran back to the base. Eager to see Master Luke's status.

Rey composed herself before going into her Master's hospital room, making sure her breath was even, and appearance presentable. She didn't want him to believe that she had fallen apart in that tragic turn of events. She strode in. Deep green eyes greeted her as she walked in.

"Young Padawan, did you feel it?" His voice raspy, and course.

"Master?" She was unsure of the topic, perhaps it the reason she came to see him.

"The awakening..." His eyes drifted away. "Rey, there has been an awakening, with your progress, I know you must have felt it." Rey thought harder, if her experience in meditation was an awakening, she was sure she completed the process. "Rey, you need to find it. There is nothing I can do for you here or for the awakened, in this bed. Reach them, before your enemies do. And bring them here to me." Rey felt the responsibility's weight being placed on her shoulders, and she closed her eyes.

"And if I fail?" Her voice cracking, about to cry.

"Rey, if you believe you could fail, you will fail. If you believe in your success, you will succeed." Her reached out for her hand, gears ticking. She took it instantly and held tight. "I know you grabbed the book. Study it on your journey. I have documented everything I have ever learned, into a collection of lessons, and theories. Protect it, but bring the awakened to me. I trust this with you Rey." He ran his mechanical finger over her knuckles, and let go. He closed his eyes, and fell instantly back into slumber.

Certain he was asleep she whimpered ever so quietly on his bedside. She was not sad over him being ill, no. She was overwhelmed with feelings and emotions, and only wanted to ask him for help, but instead was given a mission.

Someone had entered.

Rey's head whipped around to see who could possibly interrupt her feelings. It was Finn.

Rey had almost run into his arms, pushing him back a full two steps. He simply put an arm around her waist, and cradled her head with the other. He rest his head on hers, trying to identify what she might be going through in this difficult time.

"There's been an awakening" She murmured into his chest. Not wanting to look up at him just yet.

"An awakening? Like, in The Force?" His usual curious tone in his voice. She nodded her head, still in his chest. "Are you supposed to go find it?" Another nod. "Well, what are we waiting for?" That question made her look up. She found his gentle smile, and his happy glowing face. But her thoughts had flooded back into her mind.

"Wait... Master Luke had left this to me, it's my mission... So that means we can take the Falcon!" Her face lit up instantly, her nose no longer pink, her eyes already drying on their own.

"I'll go get Poe, and BB-8, and we'll get ready!" He pulled apart and skipped out the door.

Rey looked back at Master Luke. Rey knew he was in safe hands until she returned. She grabbed the book, and left quietly, not to disturb her Master's sleep.

After explaining everything to General Organa, she saw them off, waving happily. Everyone cheering for them, just as Rey had left the system before.

A big, creeping man hand crawled in front of her, and Rey smacked it out of her way.

"I know what I'm doing, Poe. Just hold on." Rey switched on the thrusters, and pulled the Falcon into gear.

"All right! I'm not saying you don't know, but I'm just a little excited. I've wanted to fly this for some time now, just... Bear with me." He turned back to the co-pilot controls, then sat idle. "Also maybe just a little weird, because I've never had to be _co-pilot_ before." Rey flashed him a smile, and let out an airy laugh.

"There's a first for everything, Poe."

As they bypassed the planets rings, she saw nothing but space. Nervous as to if she could pinpoint the location of the awakened.

"Just give me a minute," She lifted herself out of the seat and into the lounge area, where Finn, and BB-8 had been playing a game of dejarik.

She pulled up a map hologram, and assumed the meditation position. She closed her eyes, and opened her mind.

Seconds passed.

"There!" She pointed in the direction of the solar system in which the awakened was located. "That system. BB-8, help me with the information." BB-8 rolled out of the booth and hit the floor with a thunk. With a whiz he rolled over to the image display console. He configured the coordinates, looking to the map, then to the console.

With a rhythm of tones BB-8 rolled back a few inches and watched as an image appeared on the screen. Rey examined it, and read the blurb along with it.

"That's it. That's our heading. Earth."


	2. Lyssandra

A trill of the most annoying handset ever created echoed off of the walls of her half-cubicle, interrupting her train of thought. Cutting off her delicate work process, and her flow of prioritizing. She picked up the phone with an exasperated sigh.

"Good Morning, Bimbatoo Health & Services."

A slow slurred murmur scratched her ear, requesting the extension of a fellow co-worker. 

"Just a moment, I can forward you straight to them." Button after button, then the call was in someone else's hands. She rolled her eyes, and continued onto her previous work.

At the end of the day, there always seemed to be a non-official meeting of the employees where they would talk about the nearest capital, the events in the community, local charities. The more you participated in this conversation, the higher your social standing in the office. 

Lyssandra was still too young to participate in most of the activities they talked about. Leaving her as the underage receptionist, who could only listen, and hope to one day become a part of that conversation. 

She closed up the Front Desk, turning the television off, the computer, locking the cabinets, turning off all lights, closing all the blinds, and watering all the plants. All the while being invisible to the conversation. She slipped out the front door, without a word.

Only to walk across the street to a sandwich shop to begin her second job. As a sandwich maker. She enjoyed this job a lot more, because her co-workers were her age, not middle-aged grumps, however the receptionist payed better. 

After only a few hours of making sandwiches, and cleaning the shop, she closed up with a friend, locking the door, and tucking the key away. 

To go home, and repeat the process the very next day.

 

Lyssandra was content with her life. She made a fair amount of money, had her own car, had her own apartment, and didn't have to rely on anyone else. Of course, it wasn't always that way. But her sister worked so hard to get her to where she was. Which is why Lyssandra didn't want to throw it away.

Jiggling the keys to her apartment, she shoved the door open having it swing back to her, tipping her onto the door frame. With another exasperated sigh, she kicked her shoes off, jacket, uniform, all whilst still walking around her one-bedroom space and hopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. She closed her eyes for a minute, reminiscing on when her sister still lived with her.

 

Lyssandra and her only older sister had lived in a small town their whole lives, jumping from home to home, but at least they were kept together. That's what made it bearable. When her sister turned 18, she bust her ass making sure that there would be a roof over their heads for when Lyssandra would get out of care. They pulled through, both working two jobs to save up for a car, and to keep up with their bills. They did it together, and that's what made their bond so strong. Lyssandra believed they could go on like that for a long time. But of course, they didn't. Her sister wanted to go to school in their province's capital, and there was no reason for Lyssandra to deny her from going. But that meant she'd have to move into a smaller apartment, and live on her own, because Lyssandra didn't want to leave everything they had accomplished, she also couldn't leave her jobs. So when her sister packed her bags, Lyssandra's regret was not holding her longer than she did. She always missed her sister.

 

Lyssandra's eyes popped open. She decided to check her e-mails before getting too comfortable. It was their main means of communication. 

She hauled her laptop onto her bed and fired it up. Her fingers clacked in it's usual patterns, leading her to her e-mail.

Still nothing from her.

Lyssandra's hopes were always yanked down a little further for everyday she didn't get an e-mail from her. She was all she had, and now she wasn't even responding to her. _No, don't get mad at her. She has her reasons._  Keeping those kinds of thoughts running, she started a new draft, and wrote about her day.

Hitting send, she snapped her laptop shut and hoped for the best.

 

The next day dragged on, just like any other usual day. She sat at her desk, awaiting a task, or a phone call.

Instead, the only man who wasn't a middle aged grump came around the corner of her desk, and gave a her a devilishly smile.

"Yes, can I help you?" She gave him a half-smile back, trying to cover up her blushes.

"Yes, you can. You can ignore all calls for the next 15 minutes and come make out with me in the bathroom." Another smile flashed, metaphorically blinding her.

"We both know I can't do that... at least until lunch hour." She looked up at him, pulling her casually flirty self out.

"Oh, how you tease me. My heart isn't the only thing aching right now."

That one gave her a small case of choking over nothing.

"Ok, but seriously, I got a meeting downtown until 2, so take all my messages, and if Guy Fieri calls, leave him my cell." He made his way to the door, so casually, and so... sexily.

"No problem, stud." She looked away from him, afraid of what else might fly out of her mouth. When she did look back up at him, oh, how she regretted it.

"Thanks, babe" Followed by a wink from his intense blue eyes.

She looked away immediately, trying to distract herself before anyone noticed her freaking out inside. She knew her face would be noticeably pink for the rest of the day. Here, she had to professional. Ruthless. Emotionless, which only made excitement heighten so much more.

The rest of the office day flashed by, it must of been the excitement between her legs, it made time go by faster, she was excited to go home, and possibly stimulate it. She didn't have a shift at the sandwich shop that night. It was a completely possible possibility. She closed her legs tighter together.

 

Throughout the same routine of closing the Front Desk she noticed something different. Daniel, her flirting friend, had been staring at her as she scurried to finish her chores. Every time she checked to see if he was still staring, their eyes met, and Lyssandra became embarrassed. 

Maneuvering herself around the daily conversation, she was almost at door, when a hand was placed on her hip. She turned around and up to see who it was, to be met with the blue eyes she had been flirting with all day. 

"Leaving so soon?" His smirk sparked embers within her. Trying to seem uphased by him, Lyssandra took one breath at a time, not wanting to mess anything up. 

"Yeah, I got a nice bed, just calling my name for a nap." She walked out of the office backwards, not wanting to pull away from his gaze.

He smiled warmly at her, following her out, and admiring her adorable face. Lyssandra didn't even notice the cold. He made her body feel warm everywhere without even touching her.

"Want to maybe use that bed for something else?" He lifted an eyebrow, taking a giant risk, that could end in pleasure, or never seeing her again.

Lyssandra had to take a moment to think about what he meant. When it kicked in, she was unsure of how to feel. First doubt creeped up on her, then a little bit of fear. But when she began to think of how she was really going to spend her evening, it would have been so much better to have someone stimulate her, than her doing it alone. 

"Are you... Hitting on me, with full force?" She asked cautiously, clarifying before she got too excited.

"I kinda was, but I totally understand if you hate me for it right now. I mean, I just think you're really cute, and I thought this might be the best way to do it, since I'm not looking for anything serious..." His head shot straight down to the ground, and he stuffed his hands in his pocket. About to turn away, and never speak to her again.

"Are you being serious?" Lyssandra asked, she sounding disgusted. He closed his eyes, regretting it all. "I thought you'd never ask." His head shot back up, staring at a smirking, sexy young woman. She motioned him to come close. Accepting the gesture in a heartbeat he closed in on her. 

"Nothing serious?" He asked. Confirming with her once more.

"Nothing serious. Last thing I need is a love sick puppy on my ass." She turned from him making her way to her car. He turned away as well, making his way to his own car to follow her to her apartment.

 

Just outside of her building in the brisk chill air, she looked around to see if he really did follow her. She smiled when she saw him climb out of his own car, staring at her.

She made her way into the building, not interacting with him just yet. Lyssandra was right when she thought it would build the tension. 

Just outside of her apartment, she fumbled her keys, jiggling them as she had to everyday.

When Daniel had come up right behind her, gently grinding against her, breathing heavily into her neck, inhaling her scent. She tensed for a split second, then relaxed. She opened the door, immediately kicking her shoes off, Daniel's hands still on her hips, following her steps, sliding off his own shoes. Kicking the door shut behind him.

She dropped her keys on the floor, and turned to face him, sliding off her jacket. He looked down on her. She was so small compared to him, so fragile, yet so intimidating and seductive. So much untapped fiery passion that he intended on setting free. He didn't care if they lasted minutes or hours, he wanted to find release again and again with this woman. He gently brought his hand up to behind her neck, and gently pulled a fistful of hair. With the other arm, he leaned down, and cupped a cheek, and squeezed hard. 

A small gasp left her lips, she clung to him, enjoying the slight roughness he treated her with. 

He leaned lower, arm under her ass, about to pick her up. Accepting the motion, she jumped up, wrapping her arms behind his neck, and legs around his waist. 

Face to face, they finally meshed lips, hard meeting soft, pushing against each other, he navigated around her small apartment, finding the bedroom instantly, he threw her down on her bedspread.

Admiring her body for just a moment, he glided his hands over her legs, he took his time getting closer to her hips.

Lyssandra's levels of excitement were almost to intense to bear, she thought she was gonna explode. He teased her legs, making her breath uneven. Her core ached for more, she trembled beneath his fingers. She wanted to make him feel the same.

Daniel tore her pants off, in the quickest gesture Lyssandra had ever seen. Making her giggle, and become slightly embarrassed. She covered her face and smiled. 

Seeing another part of Lyssandra made Daniel ache in his jeans, the most constricted he's been of all day. He took a second to compose himself, trying not take make himself seem like a teenager who had found porn for the first time.

Noticing the tiny break he had to take, Lyssandra sat up and looked at him, then down. She was a little surprised to find the outline of his dick through his jeans. She thought it looked like it needed air.

Daniel sat down next to her, gripping the bed, and taking some deep breaths. Lyssandra couldn't have this. She wanted everything, she wanted it immediately. She didn't care if he was going to blow in his jeans, they had all the time in the world. She threw her leg over him, straddling him, ready to make him feel the way she had, minutes ago.

"It's okay. I'm excited too." She took his hands, and guided them to underneath her shirt. Getting back into the groove he pulled it over her head, and tossing it aside. Pulling her close to him, he ran his hands up and down of her smooth back, her hair tickling his knuckles. 

Lyssandra positioned herself onto his erection, gently grinding against it. A moan escaped his throat, inviting her to continue. He guided her hips to move the way he wanted, steady, and gentle. They moved like attracted magnets, clinging, and grinding against each other. 

When she took control of her hips, he traced his hands on her ribcage, making her shiver. Her ran his hands over her bra, and squeezed her breasts. Her breathing intensified. Massaging them, she bit her lip and leaned forward kissing him again. His lips were warm, his saliva hot. Their tongues met and danced together. It drove her so close to the edge. She might have climaxed right then and there. 

To ensure the possiblity of her release, Daniel placed his hands back on her hips, guiding her to grind harder, and closer against him.

  
_Yes._  Her mind chanted over and over, so close to the edge, she was just about to go over...

 

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Lyssandra's eyes flashed open, yelping at the surprise. Her heart racing, she began to pull away from Daniel, who tried to pull her back in.

"Don't answer it, they'll come back." Trying to pull her back in failed, as she slapped his arms away. "Come on, you're almost naked."

"That's what robes are for, it'll probably be no longer than a minute." Lyssandra stood up on wobbly legs, completely unprepared she threw her robe over herself, making her way to the door. 

She opened it hesitant, for she wasn't expecting anyone. No one had ever come to her door.

 

"Lyssandra Birch?" Two tall officers stood beyond her doorframe, peering over her.

"Y-yes? How can I help you?" Becoming incredibly nervous, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Do you have any affiliation with the woman, Dimah Birch?" One of the officers opened up their wallets and pulled out a small picture of her sister from her Grade 12 year.

"Uh.. Yes, she's my sister. Is there a problem?" Her brows began to furrow together, there was most definitely a problem.

 

"Ms. Birch, we've come a long way bearing bad news. We regret to inform you that your sister had passed away."

 

A minute passed. Then, another.

 

"Wh-wha.. No. That's not right, I mean.." Lyssandra continued to stammer, as the officers allowed her to take all the time she needed.

She could feel everything she ate in the last 12 hours turn over in her stomach, slowly starting to creep back up. Air was only partially available to her, passing through in short quick bursts. She tried to take a deep breath. She needed to know more. 

"What happened?" She managed to squeak out.

"Dimah[ Birch was caught in the flames of her apartment building. She perished in her apartment, trapped and out of time. There was only her remnants of her corpse to save."

Lyssandra closed her eyes tight, forcing the building tears to fall. She sniffed, and gripped the door frame tight. She needed to dismiss the officers, and sob by herself. She breathed, and spoke.

"Thank you officers... I apologize that you had to come all this way. Good-Bye." Her voice cracking, her breath shuddering, she turned away from them, as they nodded and walked back down the hall.

She turned back into her apartment, ready to break, when blue eyes had met hers. She had forgotten about Daniel.

"Lyssandra, I'm so sorry." He opened his arms and embraced her tightly.

This isn't what she wanted.

"No, Daniel..." She pulled away. "You need to leave." She couldn't look back at him, she wanted to be alone.

"Lyss-"

"No! Nothing serious, remember?" A heavy breath spilt out. "I need you to leave." She didn't know him, and they agreed that wouldn't know each other, not as immensely as that situation would allow. She wanted it to stay that way.

He understood why she wanted him gone, but he was willing to help her out in this difficult time.

"Leave!" She screamed at him, and opened the door, gesturing for him to go.

He slipped his shoes on, and left the apartment without another word.

She let go of the door, slamming behind him. That wasn't how he wanted to leave things. He knew their own cheap agreement, but he wanted to be at least friends, but that might have been his boner thinking. But above everything, he knew to never leave someone crying on their own for something as tragic as that. But this was different.

"Lyssandra, I know this is gonna be really hard," His forehead against the door, he spoke against it. "But please, I'm begging you to call me if you need anything at all. Even if it's a run to the store you don't feel you could make. I'll do it for you." He scratched his cell number on the back of his business card. "I'll also spread word around the office. I'll tell them not to expect you for at least the week." He slid the card under the door, and went on his way.

She crumpled on the floor, screaming on the inside and sobbing on the outside. The only friend she knew who loved her back was gone. The only person she was truly comfortable with in this world. 

There was a boulder in her gut. She crawled to her washroom, thinking that she was going to throw up. But nothing happened, she just kept heaving over the toilet.

Hiccuping over her sobs, the boulder didn't go away. She didn't want to believe it. _But who ever wants to?_   She felt her sanity breaking into pieces, leaving a trail of it whenever she crawled around her apartment.

Lyssandra found herself at her window, overlooking part of the town, and part of the lake. Her face constantly changing emotions. Anger, sadness, fear, and disgust.

There was no one to blame for it. She wanted there to be someone. The thought of blaming herself dragged across her mind, but she couldn't do that. She would never recover. She had no one. No one to cry about it with either. Lyssandra kept her circle very small, and for good reason. Although, right then, the reason didn't feel so good.

She was so lonely, any other problems she was dealing with following that evening caught up to her, and festered in her mind, leaving Lyssandra drained and broken.

But there was no way she could sleep, or anytime soon. She often struggled to catch her breath, even when she wasn't sobbing. The boulder continued to grow, feeling as if it was blocking her air ways, and her stomach. 

Her hands fisted, she broke skin with her nails, bleeding out onto her fingers. She couldn't feel anything. She huffed, and tensed. She was losing control.

She flipped her small desktop across the room, kicking her chair over. She did hold back the urge to scream. She wanted to so bad, but that would lead to someone calling the cops on her apartment. She hit her gut with her bloodied fist, something she always did when she was at war with herself. Often to bring her self to reality. Sometimes she had to do it more than once. Then was the most times she had ever had to hit herself. She managed, with minimal bruising but she pulled herself together for one moment. 

She knew where she had to go.

Slipping on proper attire for the weather, she pulled on her jacket, picked up her keys, and left the card on the floor without a thought towards it. 

 

She drove to the outskirts of town alongside the lake. She drove and drove to a place she loved. It was quite a ways out of town, but Lyssandra never minded. The trip was always worth it to her. The memories made there were completely irreplaceable, every single one.

She pulled up to a frozen beach, parking her car, and climbing out. Her breath visible. It was almost dark now, but the atmosphere was pink, the sunset still lingering. She zipped her jacket up, and tugged her hat on. She stepped out onto the frozen water, nervous at first. She continued on after she constantly reassured herself. Stepping to the beat of her heart, she marched on & on, not looking back.

She wasn't aware of how far she walked on the ice, but only tuned into it when she turned around and saw how small her car was. She had walked far enough. She closed her eyes and breathed in the chills. She shivered for just a moment. She looked around again, the atmosphere had turned purple since she had last noticed. Breathing steadily, she began to sing.

 

The syllables familiar in her memories, she always cried when she had heard this song, just as she was now. Singing as loud as she could. She never could remember all the syllables when she had tried to learn it long ago. But now they came to her, as if there was no possible way she could of ever forgotten them. The beat of the drum steady in her mind, she sang clear with tears streaming down her face.

 

"Every time I think of you

I just cant hold back my tears

Tell me, please tell me now

Why did you have to go"

 

After losing count of how many push-ups she did, her voice strained. She became exhausted, her body fell down to her knees. 

She looked up to the sky, and thanked her Creator for giving her the life she was given. The boulder still existed within her, but it was tolerable now, she could accept it now.

She closed her eyes and opened her mind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to establish, that Lyssandra is a part of the Ojibwe nation. A First Nation person. Part of her culture will be appearing more and more as her character develops in this story.
> 
> And if anyone was curious, this is a link to the song she sang.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGU8jduRsZ0


	3. Chapter 3

" So what would you get for transmission pieces of an Imperial Star Destroyer?"

"Well, depending on what part of the engine the piece came from, and how well the engine can manage without it, it would range from 1 1/2 to 3 portions." She thought back to Plutt's exact words. "But the most valuable pieces were taken years ago."

Poe fiddled with the piece of the compressor that Rey once tore out. Tossing it up in the air, and catching it again and again.

"It would also depend on if Plutt was looking for a specific piece. If he was, he would give you more for it, but if not, you get scraps." Rey threw her feet up onto the console making sure not to hit any of the controls.

"That Plutt guy just seemed like an asshole. Made people do his work for him." Poe looked over at Rey, still astonished that such a capable young girl, lived that kind of life.

"Well, I didn't know any better, and it was the only thing I knew at the time. I didn't know anybody, or learn anything, ever." Rey tried not to dwell on her past a whole lot, she was secretly still upset that she had to leave. She didn't miss being a scavenger, or having to scrounge for food. She missed having hope for her real family. Staring out into the hyperspace designs, she left the conversation at that. Dropping any further interest.

Although they were traveling in hyperdrive, this Earth planet sure was far away. They had already been traveling for an hour, and there destination was barely close. Rey threw her head back, looking up at the various blinking lights. She named them off, light by light.

"Hey Poe, got a minute?" Finn interrupted their silence. Rey casually looked over to Finn, then to Poe, who was staring at her, as if waiting for permission. Baffled, for a split second, she motioned her heads toward Finn, and he jumped out of his seat. Following Finn out of the cockpit. She didn't know what was going on with those two, but she was glad they were friends, she got along with them both so well, it was nice.

 

Rey drifted off for a moment, half asleep, she was still quasi-aware of her surroundings. Rey had such a bad sense of time, because when her eyes fluttered open, Earth was two parasecs away. Her eyes bulged, and she jumped straight into action.

"Poe!" Rey tried to call him, but didn't fully expect a reply, she had tried to reach all the controls from her chair. She managed her body around when she lifted herself up and tucked her legs underneath her. 

Pulling out of hyper drive successfully, and not about to crash, she took a breath, and kept the Falcon idle.

Her cheeks turning into tomatoes, she stomped out of the cockpit, hunting for Poe.

 

Her eyes whizzed around every room, as the doors lifted. She knew she was partly to blame as well, but she wanted to get mad at the part he was to blame for. 

She had searched almost the whole ship when she had to completely halt her entire body. A door wasn't opening upon her arrival. It had been locked from the inside. She banged hard on it.

Poe met her eyes, as the door lifted, and became instantly afraid. 

"Okay, what's wrong?" He crossed his arms over his chest, hunched over. Assuming the position of "Getting a Talking To."

"What were you doing over here, for over an hour? I mean, Finn had only asked for a moment! I was alone in a time of need. Look at my short arms! I can't be the pilot and co-pilot." Ending in a huff, she took a breath and looked down. She felt bad immediately, regretting most of the words she said. She counted to 10, calming herself down. Poe still looking at her, waiting for some more anger.

"Sorry, but I just... expected you to come back up sooner, and when I called your name, you didn't come." She had defeated herself in her own battle, and the memory of how she was at fault as well dinged back into her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Rey, but Finn and I, we just got talking, and I guess we lost track of time. I'll go back with you." He grabbed his sweater, and nodded off to Finn. 

They walked back to the cockpit in silence until they were in the lounge, BB-8 in sleep mode. Dejarik left on. Poe put a hand on her shoulder, gesturing her to stop and talk to him. Rey became hesitant, feeling awkward about her fit.

"Look, Rey, I totally understand why you're angry, and why you might be a bit on edge." He looked down on her with gentleness.

"What do you mean?"

"Finn told me about how Luke laid down this responsibility on you. I mean, it's gotta be tough. Still being pretty new at this, and all this responsibility. It can send anyone over the edge of temper."

Rey thought about it for a moment. But it didn't relate to her. She had felt so much better about seeing the mission through when she was able to do it with her friends. Maybe it was something else about this that made her stressed.

  
_It's Han Solo's ship_.

That was it. She could feel it. Her gut flopped over twice. Even though she barely knew the man, she knew she had to care and respect the vehicle his best friend trusted her with. That was it. She felt it. Kylo was right. She did see him as a father figure, because he showed genuine interest in knowing her. After asking her to help commandeer the Falcon, she felt that she should have found him long ago. Realizing her hidden sadness, she acknowledged that it was there, but she had to deal with it another time.

"Thanks for your concern, Poe. But that's not it. As expected as it is for me to deny it, it's really not the reason for my fuse blow back there." She straightened herself out. "We'll talk about it some other time. For now, let`s land this lady." She smiled up at him, to assure him she was fine.

"That I can do." He followed her to the cockpit, both fit as a fiddle.

Manning their stations, they pulled themselves into the atmosphere, following Rey's impromptu directions, on which hemisphere to land in. 

Rey and Poe bickered on directions. Poe urged her to use the Force, which she would retaliate, telling him she can't use it with him yelling at her. In which, they would both roll their eyes, and take Rey's command.

They found themselves closing in on one of the giant bodies of land, heading north. Getting closer and closer, Rey could feel the power of The Force growing strong. 

"Okay, slow it down. We're getting extremely close."

Following her command, Poe slowed it down, close to sitting idle.

"All right. We're on foot from here, let's set it down on that clear over there." She pointed to the left, hoping their trek wouldn't be too far. 

Shutting down the Falcon, they geared, and dressed up. Rey previously experiencing the cold of this place. Finn slipped on his jacket, and threw a sack over his shoulder. Poe climbing into two extra sweaters, he wasn't a fan of the cold. Rey held her staff in her hand, and sack around her waist, she lowered the hangar. Cautiously scurrying down the slope, she looked back at her companions, who urged her to go on first she stepped onto the crunchy snow, falling through almost a foot in.

Adding another planet to her mental list, she trudged through the snow, taking one heaving step at a time, she lead her friends on their mission.

"BB-8, you should probably stay here, I don't want any of your circuits to freeze over." Poe handed him a telecom. "In case anyone tries to steal our lady here. We'll try our best to be here before dark." Poe gave BB-8 a pat on the side, leaving him behind. BB-8 hummed. 

"Come back safe."

"We will," Both Rey and Poe assured BB-8, looking back at him with a smile. Finn frowned and shrugged, pushing forward. He had to learn more languages. He felt so left out of some conversations. He had always tried to infer the beeps, whizzes and hums of BB-8 when he was talking to Poe, but he couldn't remember any of it. Finn rolled his eyes, and followed Rey out into the frozen new land.

 

"So, what I know about this planet, is that it's still quite new. I mean, as if it's not as advanced in technology as we are. And I'm assuming that's why the Republic hadn't really come this way. The beings here are still very close-minded." Rey had scratched down important bits from the planets biography, keeping in mind of how they needed to carry themselves. She didn't know exactly what to expect, but she knew if she had to, she would protect her friends.

The trees looked strange. Bare, twisty, almost spangly. The trees were more often than not, white. The air brisk, sharp in their lungs. The sun was setting, leaving the skies orange but still bright. 

Rey felt the connection getting stronger and stronger, surprised at how strong it became with each step. _The source of it must be incredible._ Rey often studied their surroundings making sure to remember it for their way back. She also thought of how to break all this news to the Awakened. Being such a close-minded society, she figured it was bound to be difficult. She imagined different scenarios that their meeting would lead to. Most of them ended in Rey having a hard time. 

She sighed. _No, I will succeed in this._ She had to constantly reassure herself, for she doubted her humble people skills. 

Continuing to study the surroundings, something was different. Rey came to a complete halt. Poe and Finn following her instruction. Rey breathed slowly. The trees were different. They were... Pink. No, they were still white, but the white bark had been scraped off of the trees. Showing the true colors within the tree. The air had a faint smell of something different, that nobody had recognized from when they were walking. There were prints in the snow, ones that appeared to be all around their immediate area. 

"Rey..."

She turned to the voice, then froze. 

There it was. The creature they had walked in on. It was very unfamiliar, unlike anything any of them had ever seen. But it was obvious that it was a large, extremely angry bull of the sort. Rey figured they had stepped too far into it's territory, and it planned on pushing them back out.

The bull was staring right at them. It's antlers were shaped almost as a basin on each side of his head that forked upwards. Opportune for impaling a threat. The bull continued to huff at them, lifting one of his front legs and stomping it on the ground, ready to charge.

Rey gulped, unsure of their next move. She debated amongst the options, completely unsure of the probability of survival. 

"Stand your ground!" Rey blurted out, trying not to seem unsure.

"Rey, are you kidding me, we don't have a chance, we don't even know what he could do to us!" Finn whisper yelled at her, through clenched teeth. His face was going red, he wanted to run. Hoping for the chance to outrun him.

"If you want to run, run. But I'm staying put. Poe, are you with me?" Her stare never left the bull, she made an effort to huff hard, reflecting the bulls intimidation stance. 

"I'm with you, Rey. Finn, just stay behind us." Poe put his best foot forward, standing tall, and feral.

The bull was waving his head in a figure 8 motion, standing tall, and lifting his head higher. The bull had a thick brown fur coat, with strong sandy legs. It stood at least 7 feet tall on all fours, with it's antlers, perhaps 9. Rey was shaking in her boots, but she couldn't let the bull know that.

And in an instance, the bull was closing in on them. Adrenaline pumping in all four of them, they stood their ground. Rey staff in hand, Poe standing on his toes, and Finn ready to run, awaited the bull.

"Split up!" Rey screamed, and in less than a split second the trio broke up, making the bull pause, and try to decide on who to charge on. Taking advantage of the small window of time, Rey jabbed the bull hard in the neck, trying to direct it's attention to her, rather than the men, who had no weapons. 

The bull let out a low growl, that erupted into a roar, as it lifted its front legs, stomping in Rey's direction to face her. Rey noticed that the hairs on his back her standing completely upright. He must have been as scared as they were. 

He stomped his one front foot again, preparing to charge at Rey. Her blood boiling as she dripped with sweat. 

"Come on!" The bull lifted it's antlers up and down, as if trying to lift and throw its threat up into the air. Rey lifted her staff into the air, raising it up above her head with both hands, and brought it down over top the bulls head. Attempting to knock it out, she even jumped when bringing down her staff. Her attempt gave the bull more leverage on his lift, sending his antlers downwards, but he brought them back up, catching Rey's small body and lifting her into the air. 

In the air, Rey was afraid of where she was going to land, she hoped for the best, cradling herself, she braced for impact. She hit the ground hard with a thud.

     The bull immediately turned back around to immobilize Rey completely, but noticed another threat, another figure. The bull continued to lift his head up and down, intending to finish them off.

 

"Poe, get on my shoulders!" Finn got down on one knee, facing the bull.

"What? Why?" Poe was behind Finn about to maneuver his way in front to protect him.

"Just do it!"

Out of time, and out of options, Poe frog hopped onto Finn's shoulders, putting his arms out to gain his balance. Finn stood up, showcasing their newfound height. The bull froze in place.

"Now just wave your arms around, really wide, and all over the place." Finn whispered up to Poe. Finally, it hit Poe what was going on in Finn's head.

"Oh. Got ya." Waving from side to side, Poe was half of the time catching his balance, or actually waving his arms. But it worked. The bull now nervous, he lowered his head, no longer making eye contact. The bull trotted away, almost stepping on Rey, but became no longer interested. 

With the bull out of sight, Poe climbed off of Finn, catching his balance once more, while Finn darted for Rey. 

"Rey, answer me, tell me you're okay." He slid his hands behind her neck, supporting her head, he stared at her for what had seemed to be hours. She had no signs of open wounds, but it was head trauma Finn was worried about.

Rey's hazel eyes cracked open, revealing the bright light that was still in them. She took a couple of blinks to realize her surroundings, but was happy to see that Finn was okay. She let a small smile pull on each sides of her mouth. She wanted to sleep, and take a very long nap, right there, with Finn watching over her.

"Rey, no, don't sleep, we're gonna get you some help. We'll find somebody." Finn sat her up, and shook her in the slightest motion.

"Okay, okay. Don't sleep. Not yet." Rey slurred, reality was beginning to come back into focus, but she hardly remembered where they were.

"Yes, that's right. Not yet." Finn tucked an arm under her knees, and stood up. "Come on, we have to find somebody." Poe took the lead, scouting out any possible beings to help.

 

They had found houses, a long way from where they were attacked, but no one opened their doors to them, no sight of life anywhere. They continued to call out for someone to help, but had no luck in the lines of houses. After urging to keep looking, they were beginning to lose hope. It was dark out, and there was no way they would have found the Falcon. There was also no guarantee they wouldn't encounter anymore creatures. 

 

"Look, an establishment, they'll help us!" Poe went to run ahead, but stopped to notice that Finn had slowed down significantly. Poe motioned for Finn to stand her upright. They both threw an arm over their shoulders, and grabbed a hip. Rey became weightless, they ran to the establishment.  

A girl swept the floors of the store, unaware of the people outside. She was alone, humming. Hoping for a customer so she could keep busy.

The trio barged into the store, making the girl jump. 

"Can you help us? Our friend is hurt." Out of breath, Poe tried to compose himself to the girl. Finn leaning on a wall for support, about to pass out himself. Rey came to, looking up at the new setting. Bright fluorescent lights slammed against her eyes. She gripped Poe and Finn, letting them know she was awake. She felt so much better in a matter of seconds, she could stand on her own. Lifting her own weight, she looked at her. 

"That's it. It's you."

Relief flooded into Rey's whole body, and didn't realize that she had hit the ground until dark, round eyes looked down on her. The cutest eyes Rey had ever seen. She had found it, and with that knowledge, she embraced slumber's welcoming arms.

 

 

"Oh my god. I-uh," Lyssandra continued to stammer, trying to think of what to do. "The sofa! Put her on the sofa." Pointing to the corner of the room, the two men, picked up the woman and dragged her over. Laying the woman gently down, Lyssandra looked at them. "Is she going to be okay?" She looked back at the woman, who seemed so peaceful for someone who had just collapsed.

"Honestly, I don't know... She's been in and out of consciousness our whole way here." The older man answered her, scratching his head, and rubbing his arm.

"Look, we've come quite a way. Is there somewhere that we can get medical assistance for her?" The younger man asked her, he seemed more upset than the older man.

"Yes, I have a phone you can use," Lyssandra went behind the counter and grabbed the phone, and handed it to the younger man. "What happened to you people?" She asked the older man.

"Oh, it was crazy, we were out... Hiking! And we came across this creature, completely irrational, and angry. It charged at us, and believe me when I say this, he was pissed beyond belief!" The man gave her the description of the animal they encountered, giving her incredible detail of their predicament. How no one would open their doors, and how they had been walking since before sunset. 

"That's insane." Lyssandra was a bit overwhelmed with the detail of their story, thinking they might have been adrenaline junkies. She looked at the other man, who still had the phone in his hand. "Oh... aren't you going to call the clinic? Nobody will help if you don't call."

"Oh, uh... well, maybe you should call. I mean, you know the address here, and stuff like that." The man seemed nervous. Handing her the phone, the two men looked at each other not breaking the gaze.

"Oh. Sure." She began to dial the number, when a thought floated across her mind. "But if you just waited a couple of minutes, I could take you there myself. It would probably be way faster." She looked down at the phone, and canceled the call.

"Actually, that would be great. Thanks for that, uh..."

"Oh, Lyssandra, my name is Lyssandra."

"Nice to meet you, my name is Poe." He offered a hand, she took it and held it tight. His kindness spreading a smile across her face.

"And this attractive, son of a gun, is my boyfriend, Finn." Poe smiled such a sweet warm smile at Finn, and all Finn could do was blush. Lyssandra thought it was cute, and as she thought about it, it seemed pretty obvious. 

"Okay, I'm gonna close up, and I will lead you out in a few minutes." Lysssandra scurried behind the counter again, and raced to complete her fastest close up ever. Most of her chores were already done, but that didn't stop her from slowing down. She had an opportunity to help someone in need, she was going to help. 

Finishing her duties, she approached the trio once again, ready to leave.

"Okay, if you guys would come with me, I'll take you to the hospital." She was a little hesitant, and shy to re-approach them. They were holding hands, whispering to each other.

Poe looked up at her, smiling again. "Perfect, let's get outta here." The men picked up Rey, and carried her out of the store.

"My car is right over here, you guys can sit in the back. The drive isn't terribly far." She motioned to her car, and opened the doors for them. They gently placed Rey inside, careful of her fragile body. Lyssandra climbed in herself, awaiting the two men.

 

It was a quiet drive, conversation scarce, Lyssandra lightly hummed to herself, trying to be comfortable in the silence. 

Arriving at the hospital, Lyssandra let them out, and guided them to the front door. 

"So, when you first go in, there should be a lady who will take your information, and she will probably keep you in the ER." Lyssandra scratched down her number on a piece of paper. "And y'know, if anything else comes up that you're unsure about, you can call me." She handed Poe the paper. 

"Will do, I think Rey really wanted to meet you. Thank you, for everything." Both Finn and Poe, gave her a nod, and hustled to get 'Rey' inside. 

Watching them go in, she felt happy, knowing that they were gonna be okay. Leaving her in an all right mood, she got in her car, and drove home.

"Tourists are cute."


	4. Chapter 4

Finn slept restlessly, while waiting for Rey to be seen by a medical officer. Poe waited, patiently, reading the tabloids magazines. Trying to figure out some of the celebrities on the planet. He didn't have much luck, seeing as there were so many he couldn't keep track of. _How does one planet have so many well-known people?_ Poe had come to realize that war heroes weren't even an important factor in the tabloids. Yet, someone like General Organa was someone who was known throughout the galaxy. He just thought the planet was so strange, and behind compared to every other planet he had been to. 

Finn tossed over for the umpteenth time. Poe rolled his eyes, and smacked his shoulder gently, but enough to wake him up. Finn's head shook awake, his eyes scanning the room. 

"What's the point of sleeping, if you're not going to sleep well?" Poe went back to his magazine, flipping through the thin flimsy pages. 

Finn's eyes were red, and the circles under his eyes dark. He didn't look good, making it so obvious that he felt terrible. He was exhausted, and so used to getting normal sleep hours. But he was also in constant fear for Rey. He didn't know much about concussions, but he definitely knew that Rey wasn't doing well. 

"I just-" Finn slurred, still in the process of waking up.

"I don't need an explanation, I get it. You're worried. But she's a strong, brave, girl. She'll pull through." Poe pulled away from magazine, placing a hand on Finn's thigh, and rubbing it briskly. Giving him a small smirk, he tuned back into the tabloids.

 

Rey's neck cramped, causing her revitalizing slumber to come to an end. Rey tilted her head, stretching out the kink, bringing the pain to a minimum. She let out a deep breath, and slumped in her seat. She didn't know where she was, but she would worry about that in a moment. She pushed herself off of the chair, and stretched on her tip toes, lengthening her whole body. She didn't remember how she had gotten so kinked after a good rest. She breathed deeply, in and out. Finally she looked around herself. There were a few strangers sitting in chairs around her, either caught in a book, or napping. Poe was sleeping next to where she was. With one of the books on his chest, leaning towards where she was. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and took a step towards the hallway leading out of the room. When she looked down the hallway, her memories came back like a devastating flood. She had to lean against the wall, to process everything and make sense of it. The adrenaline from her encounter with the bull, the weight on her temples of trying to stay awake last night, and the raw power she experienced when finding the Awakened. _Shit, how could I have forgotten about her...?_ Rey began to panic for falling asleep when she did. _No, it's okay. You'll find her again._  Sitting against the wall, with her head between her legs, she looked up and decided to find out where she was. 

Rey shook Poe awake more violently than necessary. She needed answers, and Finn wasn't around to give them.

"Hey, hey, hey! Alright! I'm here. I'm conscious." He blinked long and hard. Poe hated being woken up, especially when it was by someone he wasn't allowed to punch. "What's this, why-what?" Poe yawned, and stretched minimally, trying his hardest to function properly.

"Where are we, and what are we doing here? I need to be with the Awakened." Rey was agitated again, hating that she wasn't spending their time on Earth pursuing the mission. She smacked Poe on the top of the head, he was dozing back off. 

"Hey!"

"Answer me. It shouldn't be that hard, or we're really in trouble." Rey stared at Poe, very close to his face, making sure his eyes would not close.

"We're at this hospital, we've been waiting here... Like, all night, waiting for someone to see you about your head. And Finn... went somewhere." Poe looked to his left, realizing that the seat was empty. "Lyssandra dropped us off here, and left us...This!" He pulled a scrap piece of paper out of his pocket. 

"And what is this? And who is Lyssandra?" She yanked the piece out of Poe's hands, and unfolded it swiftly. Careful not to tear it. 

"Lyssandra is a very nice young lady, who, according to your very brief words, is the awakened one. She drove us here, and gave us that code to contact her." Poe was awake, proudly giving Rey the information he knew she wanted so badly.

"Okay, well, I feel fine. Nobody is coming to see me. Let's contact her." Rey looked around for someone who could give her a telecom.

"Whoa, whoa. One thing at a time. First; let's find Finn." With a blank expression on her face, Rey had to slow her train of thought. Poe was right, one thing at a time. She made it her mantra. Chanting it over and over. 

"I need to meditate. Can you look around for Finn?" Rey sat down on the floor, crossing her legs, placing her hands in between. 

"Yes, I have an idea of where he went." Poe jumped up, and darted out of the room. The people still in the room paid no attention to Rey, allowing her to meditate comfortably. She closed her eyes, and opened her mind.

 

Poe found Finn reading a real book, with his legs propped up on another chair, looking so peaceful, so calm. Poe almost didn't want to interrupt him. Instead, he just leaned against the wall, admiring him for just a moment. A smile hinting at the corners of his lips, Poe cleared his throat catching his attention. Finn looked up, a grin flashing Poe's way. 

"Rey woke up. She is completely fine. Meditating and everything... She wants to leave when I bring you back." The last of his words could have sounded like he cared less. Finn thought maybe he should have at least sounded like he was excited, but he knew that Poe wasn't one to fake. 

Finn dropped his legs off of the chair, and made his way to the doorway.

"Okay, let's go." Finn stood only inches away from Poe now, ready to be on their way. But Poe seemed distracted. A long silence. "Something wrong?"

"No, every thing's fine. It's just that... Hm. I don't remember getting a kiss from you at all. Not one on this planet." If Finn didn't know any better he would have thought that Poe was genuinely ticked. But when Poe was teasing, he made it so believable. Finn looked down, but smiling. He remembered their promise. They would always kiss at least once on a new planet, even if they were on on it for only minutes. It didn't matter how long the kiss lasted, as long as it was once, and it wasn't a peck. He let out a deep breath, and leaned in very slowly. Poe just kept staring with a smirk on his face. Finn so close to meeting Poe's lips, when Poe turned around, a smile still intact.

"Oh well, I don't want to burden you with my feelings." Being completely over dramatic, Poe strutted away from Finn, a small sway in his hips.  With a bite of his lower lip, Finn snatched up Poe's wrist, pulling Poe into a twist around towards him, Finn wrapped his arm around Poe's waist pulling him closer. 

"Don't be like that." Finn smiled, then finally kissed him, gently, savouring the taste of him. He tasted the same as he always had, but it was a taste that Finn always wanted more of. 

Finn was always the one who had to be more outgoing when it came to affection. Especially in public, Finn thought Poe just liked to show off their relationship. Finn didn't mind, he wasn't embarrassed. But he just didn't know how to tell Rey. He was at war with the possible outcomes. He was unsure if she'd be happy for them, or if she might back off. It was easier when she was off training, because they could be open about their relationship everywhere. But being apart of the team, made him want to be cautious about it. Which made him nervous about Poe picking up on it, which made Finn stressed beyond belief. 

They managed to pull away from each others' lips, remaining close. Staring deeply into each others' eyes, then, Poe finally spoke.

"Let's get outta here, babe."

 

The boys strolled into the room where Rey sat on the floor, now alone, and caught up in her mind. Her breaths were so far apart, it made her seem like she was sleeping. Her body so stiff, yet so relaxed. Her eyes closed so tight, and they had almost seemed like they were open. Meditating was very interesting to Finn, however he didn't understand how someone could just pardon everything in their life to sit down and forget it all. That mindset prevented him from opening his mind. 

"Do we... Wake her up? Give her a shake... Or..." Poe leaned over close to Rey's face, almost studying it. Finn walked around her, wondering how they should go about getting her out of it.

"I have no idea... Maybe just... Poke her?" Finn was completely unsure of what to do, and itching to leave the hospital.

"I'm not gonna poke her, you do it." Poe stood up, he didn't want to seem rude, or be the one to be punched.

"No. You."

"Why me?"

"It's more understandable if you do it."

"What?" A pause. "Okay, you got me there." He rolled his eyes, and leaned in close to her face again. Senses heightened, Poe looked at Finn once more, receiving a reassuring look. With a deep breath, he stuck out his finger, and swiftly jabbed her in the shoulder.

A moment.

Nothing.

Then, another jab, a little harder the next time around. Her eyes opened up, looking up at a very close, and scared Poe. 

Rey was very confused, _Why is he so close?_ She leaned backwards away from Poe. 

"A simple calling of name would have done it." Rey's expression still puzzled, she continues to mirror Poe. Confused and slightly scared. 

"All right, well that's that. What's done is done. Let's, uh, get out of here." Poe slapped his thighs and stood completely erect, feeling awkward and slightly embarrassed. 

Rey stood up as well, dusting herself off, and composing herself. She had gotten enough time in her meditation, but every time she had pulled out of it, it never seemed like enough. 

"Okay, so first thing I found that we should do, after obtaining Finn," She flashed him a smile. "Is contact BB-8. We told him that we would be back before dark, it's midday." Poe's face twisted, lost in anguish. He must have forgotten. Poe fumbled for his own telecom, looking for it in all of his little pockets. Poe found the telecom, relaxing his entire body, he pushed the button.

"Hey buddy, are you there?" Radio silence. "BB-8, please come in."

With a abrupt whistles, followed with a few hums, everyone relaxed. "Team! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Oh, buddy, we're so glad you answered, are you okay?" 

"Yes, I'm fine. Team had me so worried."

"Aw, okay, well we should be back by tonight, if not, I will definitely com you."

"Okay, I will be waiting for Team."

Everyone let out a heavy exhale. They would all hate themselves if they had let BB-8 down. He was too sweet and innocent. 

"All right, next order of business." Rey clapped her hands together, then pulled the piece of paper with Lyssandra's code on it. "We have to get back in contact with her right away. I can't waste any more time." The conversation immensely serious, Rey tried to figure out the way to contact her, she didn't have the slightest idea.

"You think we've been wasting time? Rey, you were thrown, like, 10 feet in the air, and unconscious afterwards. Then you go and collapse on us, passing out for what, 11 hours?" Finn sounded angry, but also didn't.

"Finn, I-" Rey was unsure of where the tone came from, and was interrupted before she could ask.

"No, Rey, we weren't wasting time. Even the Jedi have to take care of themselves." Finn stared hard at Rey, expecting a response.

"Finn... What do you want me to say? This is incredibly important, I have to do this, and bring her back to Master Luke. We've spent too much time here already." Rey looked down, thinking back on her and Poe's conversation about the mission being the reason behind her temper. Perhaps it actually was. "I'm sorry." She looked up at Poe, he looked as if he knew exactly what was going on in her head. Poe wrapped his arms around Rey, giving her a gentle hug, one that she needed more than she thought. Her lip trembled, just about to cry, when Finn joined in, holding both of them in his arms. Rey let a couple of tears fall. She didn't know why exactly, but it happened, and know there was nothing else to be done, but hug them both, and thank them for being with her.

"Okay, well, now that we'll hopefully have cleared that up for the moment. I do agree that finding this 'Awakened One' is very important, but of course, our well-being should come first. Right, Rey?" Poe pulled away and shrugged off Finn. He exchanged looks with the both of them, reassuring them that they were going to be all right. 

"Right, so with or without the code, I should be able to still find her, with light meditation." Rey wiped her cheeks, and came back to her serious expression. One that she had to wear often. "But let's try the code first... What should we say?" She looked at the boys expectantly.

Finn and Poe looked at each other, then back to Rey. "You mean, what should  _you_ say. This is entirely your mission after all." It was like they were synced completely, because then, the both crossed their arms across their chest, in the exact same way.

Rey could feel her mouth drop. Sure, she thought they were being funny, and she understood. _The nerve._  

"Okay, what should _I_ say?" Rey rolled her eyes, but she was smiling now. Returning the gesture, the boys grinned back at her. 

"How about something like, you wanna repay her for helping out, and getting some food, or... something."

"Or that you would just like to thank her in person. Just to start off and get acquainted."

Rey juggled the two ideas, wondering of how each might end. 

"I'll just call her and see what happens." Rey exhaled, and looked up at them.

"Yeah, I guess that could work as well."

"Okay, here we go." She turned on her heels, and went on her way to find a telecom to call Lyssandra.

 

Rey found a woman with a device next to her ear, pressing it to her head with her shoulder. It was her first guess as to what to use. She waited for the woman to have a moment. Which seemed to be a very long time.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if I could use that..." Rey pointed to the device as the woman hung it up on some sort of console. 

"There is a public one over there you can use," The woman pointed to another room, where there was a giant console up on the wall. 

"Oh, thank you." Rey approached the device, and examined it. She didn't quite understand it, it was strange to her. She picked up the same looking device as the woman, and held it to her ear. A low drone filled her ear, it wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't pleasant either. Picking up the device revealed a small keypad that had buttons with generic numbers on it. She passed air through her lips, and jabbed all the buttons that were on the piece of paper. Different beeps in different tones started up, and Rey became nervous as to what was supposed to happen. The tones continued to play over and over, giving Rey an annoyance. Just about to hang the device back up on the console, when a perky female voice rang in her ear.

"Hello?" 

"Hello, is this Lyssandra?" Rey's heart raced, she gripped the phone, as if she were holding onto the girl on the other end.

"Yes, this is my cell phone, can I ask who's calling? I don't recognize this number..." She trailed off.

"Oh, you haven't met me, my name's Rey, you helped me and my friends out last night."

"Oh! You're Rey, okay, yeah, your friends are super nice, they care for you."

"Yeah, they do, I just wanted to officially thank you for all your help last night. We would have never made it here, I mean, we're lucky we found you."

The girls exchanged small talk for quite a while, as Finn suggested, they got acquainted over the phone. Rey made up a story of how they were out of town, and made their way to the town completely oblivious to it. Lyssandra told her about the bull they encountered. It was called a moose, and have killed the most people in attacks, second to an animal Rey couldn't repeat. Lyssandra talked about how cool it was that they were "Free-fallers", which she explained as people who travel and land wherever the land. Rey had a little chuckle over that one. She sounded so cute, and Rey wanted to meet her so badly. Finally, Rey asked.

"Did you maybe, want to show us a good place to eat? I mean, we don't really know anywhere."

"Yeah, I could do it, I'm off for my day job. I can pick you guys up in a little bit. Are you still at the hospital?" Her voice had lightened up, almost excited at the opportunity.

"Yes, we're done with the medical officer, I'm cleared to leave." Another fib, she knew she couldn't make habit of it, but she had to for the moment.

"Oh, great! Okay, we'll I'll be there in, hm, 10 or 15 minutes. Wait outside the main door for me."

"Okay, sounds great. Thanks!"

"Okay, see you soon."

A click, then another tone. Rey hung the phone back up on its hook. She smiled brightly, talking to her was so easy, and she was very excited to actually meet her. She almost skipped on her way to tell Finn and Poe.

 

Waiting outside in the brisk cold, Rey was jumping in her boots, ecstatic to meet Lyssandra. Rey only remebered her eyes, the dark brown eyes, that looked down on her as she collapsed. They were so lovely, so big and round, charming. Rey thought about her, and what she might be like, and where their relationship might lead. As she daydreamed, a small vehicle pulled up right in front of the team.

"Hi guys! Hop on in." All of their faces lighted up, and they climbed into the cab. "I assure you, I'm not going to harm you, or dump you in the middle of nowhere." Lyssandra had tried to make a joke, one that the trio didn't get. Starting off their encounter in an awkward state. 

"All right, well, do you guys have any preference on where we go?" She asked, her attitude still positive. 

"We were, uh, hoping you could surprise us." Poe offered up in the conversation. Finn and Rey agreed, nodding their heads and smiling.

"Okay... I'll take you guys to sushi? Do you guys like sushi?"

"We're willing to try anything."

"Okay, well that's where we'll go." Lyssandra put the vehicle in gear, and pulled away from the hospital. 

The town was small, but quaint, it seemed so homey, and close together. Rey was again amazed of how much green there was on one planet. Poe confused for a moment on their means of traffic for land motor vehicles. Finn excited to see more of it all. Together, they all just stared out of the windows, while Lyssandra drove them to their destination. 

 

In the small, elegant restaurant, smells filled and lingered in their nostrils. Some were pleasant, others were ones they wished weren't around. The trio continuously looked around, not holding onto a conversation long. Lyssandra thought it was so cute how curious they were to be seeing all of it. Even though it was just a small restaurant. 

"So, Poe, how long have you and Finn been together?" Lyssandra asked, just about to toss a roll in her mouth. Rey's face became puzzled instantly, and Finn's eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of his skull. Poe just closed his eyes, and waited for the catastrophe to begin.

Poe knew that Finn was hesitant about telling Rey, and he knew he was being cautious about their relationship. But Poe understood. Being gay was still surprising to a lot of people, and they didn't know how Rey would react. But it was up to Finn to break the news to Rey, and of course, Poe knew Rey would react worse to having a secret kept from her. He just knew that something was about to blow, but he didn't know who would go first. 

"Was I not supposed to say anything...?" Lyssandra looked to Poe, who in her opinion, was the only on who looked as if they could give a straight answer. _Well, maybe not exactly straight but..._  


"No, Lyssandra, I think it's the perfect time to bring it up. But let me just bring you up to speed on that.

"Rey and Finn are very good friends, and met quite a long time ago, just after Finn and I met. Now they spent some time together, then Finn and I spent time together. Then, Rey had to go away for a while, which is when Finn and I had actually starting being an official thing. Now, Finn hasn't told Rey yet, because we didn't know how she'd react to it. But now, everything is spilled on the table, so let's see how we'll handle it." Poe spoke fast, and almost incomprehensible, but Lyssandra followed quite well. She was a gossip, and was used to people acting this way. She just sipped her drink, and watched the Rey and Finn.

"Finn, what the heck? What is this?" Rey spoke slowly, not looking at Finn yet, but down at the table.

"Rey, please, just take this-" He tried a gentle approach to the situation but was interrupted.

"Finn, why would you feel the need to hide this from me? You two are my best friends. Poe, why would you feel the need?" Rey looked to her side, pulling Poe in.

Poe put his hands up in surrender. "It was Finn, he asked me to zip my mouth."

Finn's jaw dropped, and gave Poe the look of betrayal, and just stared.

"Finn! I thought we could tell each other everything?" Rey's voice was raised in the slightest. Rey felt hurt, of course she wasn't mad about them being together, but as Finn had predicted she was mad about the secret. 

"Rey, calm down. I mean, it's not a big deal. It's not like it's life-changing." Finn's hand gestures didn't help Rey process his words.

"Of course it's a big deal Finn! You felt the need to keep something from me! What does that say about _our_ relationship? Our Team friendship?" Rey stared at him with an expression of hurt, and betrayal.

"Come on, Rey! What did you expect me to do? The only reason you wanted us to come to you was because of what happened to Luke! It was an emergency, did you want me to bring it up right then? You were busy, and couldn't exactly take a minute! Because all you care about right now is this mission. The girl, getting back, and leaving us again... Maybe we shouldn't have come here with you." Finn bit his tongue and wasn't sure if he was going to regret saying those things quite yet. He leaned back in his chair, and didn't want to look at Rey. 

There was a long pause. 

"What's this about a mission? I got a little bit lost there..." Lyssandra tried whispering over the table to Poe, but the whole restaurant was quiet now, and she may as well have yelled across the room. 

All three of their expressions went blank, then they all looked to Finn, the blower of the horn. The horn that wasn't ready to be blown, or to be blown by him.

"Well, while we're getting everything out on the table," Rey gestured to the table separating her from Finn. "Lyssandra, this is going to come as a bit of a shock, but I want you to be open-minded. Can you do that for me?" She leaned over the table, staring at Lyssandra.

"Uh, I guess. I mean, sure." Lyssandra was startled, and felt vulnerable, with all of them staring at her, she focused very carefully on Rey's words.

"Okay... There is this great power that radiates off of your spirit. One that people like me, Finn and Poe identify as The Force, with proper training and lessons, you can do incredible things. I've been training with The Force for months now, and my mission is to bring you back with me, so you can begin training with me." Rey waited for some sort of response, a question, a comment, anything.

"Okay, wait. Are you guys like... doing a reenactment?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so late. But I just got really caught up in work this week, and like I said, I'm working on this on my own. But I promise, I'll keep the chapters consistent.  
> Also, I may or may not have gotten someone to proof read.  
> Please bear with me. (:


	5. Chapter 5

Lyssandra wanted to laugh, but she also wanted to question. She wasn't sure how to react, or if there was a correct way to go about it. She was confused, and humoured, definitely not a good combination. Processing what Rey had said, she replayed the words over and over again in her head. The sentences made sense, but the meaning didn't, and Lyssandra was having such a hard time. But she came to the most sensible conclusion.

"Okay, wait... Are you guys doing a reenactment?"

The trio looked at each other in question, then back to her.

"I don't know what that means, but I-" Rey gasped, mid-sentence. Her back straightened, her expression shocked. Rey shuddered, and her lips trembled. 

Lyssandra became more and more confused, and was beginning to feel hostile. She wanted to leave, pay for her meal, and make them forget her. 

"Rey? What's wrong?" Poe placed a hand on her shoulder, and tried to turn her to face him.

Rey looked back at Finn. Anger flaring on her face.

"We were wasting time at that hospital. It put us in a vulnerable position, because guess who's closing in?" Rey's tone could have sliced a man in half. Her nostrils flared and she stared at Finn, with a fury that would scare demons. All Finn could do was look back at her from under his eyelashes. He knew who was closing in, and he also knew that it was a rhetorical question.

 

 

Kylo Ren could feel the power of The Force grow stronger the closer he became. But something wasn't right. There was too much Light. He knew it was too much for someone who was unaware of the power. _The Scavenger._   _She's found it._ Kylo's fists' clenched, he held back a growl. He felt a small sense of disappointment, but chose to lift it. Kylo knew better than anyone that the Dark Side had its ways of temptation.   _The mission will not yet be diminished._ He was given the same mission as Rey. 'Obtain the Awakened, and bring them to his Master.' Kylo didn't believe it would difficult to find it, but he would have it by any means necessary. He had also known a bit about Earth, and he was unsure of how to carry himself. He didn't know if he should bring a squad with him, or go alone. He didn't want to take off his mask, but being close-minded people, he didn't know how they would react to it. He hated travelling to new planets, if he had the choice he would float through space and intimidate from afar. But he knew that wasn't how intimidation worked. 

He looked over the planet, still quite away from it, he gazed out the window from the main control room. 

"General Hux." His gaze did not change. Kylo waited patiently for a response.

"Yes, Ren? What is it?" His tone cold, he stood beside Kylo, almost annoyed.

"You will accompany me to this planet, we must be discreet on this mission. Master Snoke requests that we handle this planet gently, as it is still under observation." His tone very strict, Kylo believed that he had a power over Hux. Mostly because he wielded the lightsaber. 

"Why me? We have many capable troopers that are available to accompany you."

"Troopers are of no interest to me in this mission. I need someone with... People skills. As a General you must have them."

"I suppose. Will it be only the two of us?"

"Yes, too many people would slow me down. We will depart in 20 minutes. I expect you in the launch bay before then. I also expect casual attire." Kylo turned on his heels, and stalked away from the conversation.

Kylo had to change his attire, or at least, he felt the need to. He didn't know why it had seemed so important to him. He also didn't know why keeping discreet meant so much to the mission. He felt the planet should know that they aren't the only ones in the galaxy. However, he knew that disobeying Master Snoke would lead to Kylo's own demise. Kylo believed that even hiccups in the mission wouldn't go well in reports to Snoke. More often than not, they ended with broken bones.

Kylo departed with his cloak, belt, then his robe. He rarely ever went out without the three. He felt almost exposed without them. They were apart of his everyday attire. He didn't know what to do. Should he remove his uniform entirely? Or risk the appearance of it? The rippled shirt didn't seem strange, and his loose-wear trousers that tucked into his boots seemed fine. A thought floated across his mind.

"Droid."

"How may I be of assistance?" The small droid came to life from beside his door. Lights igniting, it approached Kylo hesitantly.

"I need you to find any relief clothing we may have. If you do happen to find some, bring me a suitable outfit." Kylo began to strip everything else his body carried, turning away from the droid, dismissing him.

"Yes, sir." The droid droned. It wheeled itself out of the room, carrying on his task. 

Removing his mask, he placed it where it belonged. He took a deep inhale filling his nostrils, and exhaling out his mouth. His eyes closed, he focused on his breathing. _This is so stupid._ He stretched his muscles and cracked his joints. He took on meditative stances, slowly transitioning between them. It was the most effective way of calming himself, although it almost never worked. He found himself finally sitting with his legs crossed, facing the wall. Not meditating per se, but definitely calm. 

The droid barged into the room, with an unnecessary amount of clanks. Kylo sighed and turned around to face the droid. It had fallen over, throwing the contents it was carrying a few feet in front of it. Kylo could feel his temper shorten.

"It was a simple task, droid. How did you manage to fall over?"

"Sir, my wheel-" Interrupted, the droid crumpled, it's head caved in on itself, any lights within died. Kylo brushed the droid to the side of the room, paying no mind to the excuse.

Kylo picked up the clothes that were on the floor, and laid them out on his mattress. Simple black pants, plain T-shirt, jacket, and cold weather necessities. Kylo was constantly asking himself why he cared so much about his appearance. He shouldn't, but there was something. It must have been something he was denying. Dismissing the insecurity, he tugged on the outfit. 

Kylo felt silly. He never went to a planet where he would have to act different. He began to care less about the appearance, and felt the need to get the mission over with. Continuously rolling his eyes, and sighing, Kylo dragged himself to the launch bay.

Kylo began to prep a VT-49 Decimator, with little help from the computer generated co-pilot. He knew the basics to piloting, but he would have Hux with him, so he felt a little more at ease. Piloting was never Kylo's strong suit, but he intended to pursue it, as his grandfather was a natural pilot, he wanted to be the same. 

"Are you certain you know how to fly this?" Hux, climbed aboard, taking his place in the co-pilot seat. 

"My knowledge is sufficient." Kylo flipped switches, pulled levers, and in time, the engine roared to life. Hux carefully watched over his shoulder, ensuring that they would take off without a hitch.

Finally pulling into gear, Hux disconnected all cables, freeing the vehicle. Slowly exiting the hangar, as soon as they left, the speed picked up instantly. 

"I'm setting the coordinates for the North Western Hemisphere, 51.0000° N, 91.0000° W, is this correct?" Hux awaited confirmation of entering the coordinates. Looking at Kylo expectantly, he held his hand just over the button.

"Yes, that is correct. I will pinpoint the destination as we approach." Kylo sat comfortably in the chair, trying to feel the Awakened once again.  He could feel the power of it radiating off of it's spirit. Gentle, and for the moment fragile. Then it changed... To strong, and valiant. He didn't know if it was the Awakened, or if it was the girl. It was most likely both, but it made finding them all that much easier. Rey wasn't aware of his presence yet, he could feel it. He had tried to pull away from her energy, focusing on the Awakened. 

"We're going to land there. In that clear." Kylo gently steered the ship, pulling just above the clear. Hux began the preparations to land. Shutting down secondary ignitions, and bypassing the fuel lines to the externals motors. Kylo changed the ship into the proper gears, and lowered the ship. 

"So, now I suppose I just follow you out there, and wander until we find the person?" Hux stared at Kylo, unimpressed at the maturity of the mission. 

"That's exactly what I expect you to do. Let's depart." Kylo jumped out his chair, fastening his saber to his belt, tugging on his winter provisions, he was ready to leave.

Hux dressed his hands, neck, and head with winter provisions, tucking any skin away under clothing. Hux didn't want to be there, but had no choice.

Kylo had no time to waste. He had to have the Awakened aboard his ship or face the consequences. He planned on facing none, and succeeding in this mission. They began their trek to the nearby city, and kept their heads low, fighting against the freezing blows, trying to send them flying backwards. 

Trying to focus on the strength of The Force, he pulled on it, pulling himself closer to it.

"Shit!" Kylo halted in his tracks, looking up to the sky in exasperation.

"What is it?" Hux mumbled through his scarf.

"The girl. She knows we're close. She's also with the Awakened. Now she's going to do anything in her power to keep it from me." Kylo's head fell, and his hand caught it in a face palm. 

"This would be good reason as to why we should have brought troopers with us! So we wouldn't have to worry about some sort of fight. So they could do it for us!" Hux's tone was bitter, he threw his hands in the air. "Ren, what do we do now? Give up, or?"

"Of course we don't give up! Are you stupid?" He stared at Hux, deciding if the question was rhetorical or not. "We're so close, they're in one of those buildings there." Kylo pointed to his right, and continued down the way. It was only a few buildings down, but the cold made it seem like miles. 

"It's this one. Just keep your head down until we get inside. I'm going to put everyone to sleep, then I need you to grab the only one that will be awake." Standing just outside what appeared to be a canteen, Kylo spoke slowly, ensuring no details were missed.

"And if they resist?"

Kylo rolled his eyes and exhaled. He casually opened the door of the canteen. 

The traitor immediately recognized Kylo, and his eyes opened wide. He alerted his friends, and they all turned around to face him.

"Finn, the table!" Rey had spurted out. With that, the traitor flipped the table up, blocking himself and a young girl. 

Acting fast, Kylo did manage to put the other civilians to sleep, along with the traitor and the pilot. The girl's power had grown too strong for that trick, which Kylo was prepared for. He focused all his power into freezing her position. 

"Hux, the girl they were sitting with. Get her." He didn't break his stare with Rey's eyes. He could see the anger stirring in them. It made a smirk play across his face. 

Hux maneuvered around the room of unconscious bodies. Reaching the girl, Hux pulled on her arms to pull her out from behind the table. The girl in a free space, Hux struggled to lift her off of the ground, either flopping the body over, or tumbling himself. Kylo wasn't expecting the girl to fall asleep as well, but her power was so untrained, he didn't know how he expected any different.

Rolling his eyes, Kylo pulled Rey into a choke hold, then the girl. The girls eyes flashing open, struggling for breath, Kylo examined her.

"We'll take them both. Maybe we'll finally be rid of the Jedi in the foreseeable future."

"How do you expect to get them both out of here? Especially in that weather."Hux looked at the girls at Kylo's side.

"I have an idea for that." Kylo let the girl go, and let her catch her breath. "You will take us back to our ship." Waving a hand in front of her face, he had only hoped it would work on her.

Slowly, her back straightened, and her gaze met Kylo's.

"I will take you back to your ship. My vehicle is this way." The girl led the way, and Rey had finally passed out. Allowing Kylo to carry her bridal style once again. Hux followed the girl, Kylo right behind him. 

The girls vehicle humming to life, she pulled into the traffic and awaited directions from her hypnotist. 

"Head West, I will guide you as we approach."

"I will head west." The two passengers stared out the windows, watching the changing landscapes. 

"I must say, I'm impressed in the success of your mission." Hux looked over to Kylo, giving him the slightest look of approval.

"I wish I could say the same General. It would seem you cannot even lift a lightweight female." Kylo looked back at Hux with a disappointed expression. Hux could only look to the floor in shame.

With the directions Kylo gave the girl, they found their ship once again. Stepping back into the cold, they gripped on to the girl, and carried Rey to the ship. 

"Girl." Kylo's deep voice had made the girl jump in front of him, she timidly turned to face him, looking up at him. She was a very small girl, almost two feet below him. "What do they call you?"

"They call me, Touching the Sky Woman."

"Why are you lying to me? That is not a name." Kylo paused anything that was happening. He gazed down on her, almost leaning over to stare her in the face.

"It is my name. One of them. Many people can have many names." Her tone was not friendly. Which Kylo had expected as such, but it was a simple question. Not one to be difficult in answering. 

As he thought about the statement, she had surprised him, something not many people usually did. She had kicked him upright into the most sensitive region. Kylo dropped Rey into the bed of crunchy snow, bending over and groaning. He watched as she gave Hux a jab to the nose, knocking him backwards into the snow as well. The girl kicked Kylo's knee inwards, making him fall to one knee. 

Kylo summoned his power, slowly regaining it. He breathed heavily, almost shaking. He could feel his face getting hot, his knuckles white, lip trembling. The girl had went to accompany Rey, who had already come to. They were trying to run away. 

Kylo roared into the brisk chilled atmosphere. He threw two hands in front of him, tensing every muscle from his shoulder to his fingertip. The girls had went flying forwards, falling face first into the snowbank leading towards the traffic. He was trying to hold them there, but Rey had gotten more stronger than he had predicted.

Rey had thrown up a shield after they had fallen into the snowbank, preventing any other Force-based maneuver. Rey looked at Kylo with that same fury as back in the canteen, and helped the girl back up. Rey was half-focused on running away, and half-focused on the shield, resulting in the shield becoming weaker. 

"We have to go after them, now." Kylo composed himself, and began to sprint after them. He didn't care if Hux was going to follow, or be a child and writhe in pain. He needed the girls. And by the existence of soul, he would have them. 

 

"We have to get back to the restaurant, I have to get back to my friends." Rey panted as trying to run at Lyssandra's speed, it was exhausting her so much faster with the shield up.

"I'm getting you back to your friends, then going to the police! I can't be involved in any weird gang problems you have!" Lyssandra focused on trying to remember where she had parked her car. Her memory of driving was foggy, she only remembered walking with those men clearly. "Where is my car?" Lyssandra had slowed down, and looked around in circles, trying to locate the getaway car.

"Up there! I see it!" Rey sighed, and continued on. They both pushed themselves as hard as they could, closing in on the vehicle. 

Fumbling with her keys, she started the car, as Rey climbed in the passenger side. Only then did she put down the shield, and breathe for just a moment.

"Lyssandra, I know this must be really hard for you to understand, but you really have to try, okay?" Still slightly out of breath, Rey knew she had to act fast or bust.

"I'm trying. Here's what I got. I found myself in this little circle, where you and your friends free-fall so you can keep away from these people who now want me as well since I've been spotted with you. And now we're still running, and don't know what we're doing. Am I right?" Lyssandra took breaks from looking at traffic and looking at Rey.

"Well, if that's the way you truly see it, it's got the basics." Rey exhaled. "If you promise to listen, and keep an open mind... I'll tell you my side of it." Rey looked at Lyssandra, hoping for the answer she wished so hard that Lyssandra would give. 

"I'll try my hardest." With that, Rey began her tale. Starting as early as she could, thinking back and trying to leave in the important details. The ones that would matter to Lyssandra. She started with her meeting BB-8, Finn, Han and Chewie, Maz, and Kylo. She gave background knowledge on those who needed it for the story to make sense. The bond her and Finn had grown. The monster Kylo had become, and the tragedy that had come between Han and Kylo. She told her about the training with Master Luke, and the emergency that had interrupted their peace. Ending her tale with Lyssandra's Awakening. Telling her about how important it is that she come back with her to the Falcon. Lyssandra was a good listener, not interrupting, and showing expressions and gestures of understanding. Unless, she was just trying to get Rey to stop. 

"You must realize how crazy this is. Especially for someone like me. But man, what would NASA do for this kind of information..." Lyssandra trailed off, bringing her attention back to the traffic. "Who was that other man with .... uh, 'Kylo', there?" 

"I don't know who that was, but he is definitely not a man made for combat. He couldn't even lift someone as small as you." Rey chuckled, thinking back to his failed attempts at lifting her. She was able to watch him try from her frozen position. She wanted to laugh at him for being so feeble.

"Lyssandra, he knows who you are now, he will not stop looking for you here. And he recognizes your energy as well. He will always be able to follow-up as long as we're close to each other. All of us. He was the one that I could feel closing in." Rey's tone became serious once again, she looked at Lyssandra, and hoped so deeply that she would understand.

"So, what you're asking me to do, is give up my life? Completely? And, most likely never come back here?" She stopped the car, killed the engine. Rey didn't realize they were back at the restaurant until she spotted Finn and Poe frantically stumbling out of the building. Back to the conversation, Rey closed her eyes, thinking hard about the way to go about answering. 

"The Force works in mysterious ways... I think it might have awakened in you, because now you have no reason to stay. And all the reason to leave." Rey had thought back to when the Force might have Awakened in her, never being able to pinpoint the exact moment, but she knew it had to be when she was still on Jakku. She had finally lost a reason to stay, which helped her realize that she needed to leave. She looked back up to Lyssandra, who had tears falling down her face.

She held back a whimper, and knew what Rey was talking about. She did have no reason to stay there, no reason to go on with her life. She could have died and no one would care, but that wouldn't do any good. As insane as the idea of going with them was, it also made sense to her. As a bonus, no one would care if she left. She had no one, which meant no one would look for her, or question where she went. She could leave. She could be free, and move on.

"Yes. I will go with you."

Lyssandra opened her teary eyes to another teary eyed girl, who opened her arms welcoming her into her life. Lyssandra fell comfortably into Rey's embrace, both hugging tightly, glad to have each other. Gaining each other as new friends, they pulled apart and looked into each others' eyes.

"Let's get out of here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this time, I promise they'll be more on time.


	6. Chapter 6

After arguing for what seemed like hours, the trio was finally able to lead Lyssandra in the right direction of the Falcon. Marching through the crisp snow, they all stayed alert, watching out for any creatures that might attack. As well as keeping a special eye open since Kylo Ren was hot on their trail. 

 

They allowed Lyssandra to make a pack for herself, carrying essentials, and leaving letters for some individuals. They watched her scurry around her quarters, gathering small trinkets and stuffing them into a duffel. Lyssandra bent down to the floor and picked up a small slip of paper, and spent a long time looking at it. A look of grief melted on her face the longer she stared. Finally, she sighed, and dug in her pockets for her phone. 

"I need to call him..." Whispering to no one, she took a breath, and dialed the number. She couldn't put her finger on why she wanted to call him, but she did. He was the only one who showed an interest, even if it wasn't very good one. Her heart rate picked up, as soon a a grumbly, husk voice answered her call.

"Hello, Daniel speaking."

"Hi, Daniel, it's Lyssandra... I don't know why I called you, um, good-bye..." Lyssandra closed her eyes hanging up the phone. She paused, thinking about her stupid action. The phone rang in her hand. making her jump. 

"Hello?"

The same husk voice. 

"Lyssandra, no, talk to me, don't hang up." She didn't know what to do, she panicked. 

"I'm leaving."

A pause.

"Well, there's nothing anybody can do to stop you."

"I wasn't going to tell anybody, but maybe that's the reason I called you."

"I'll be able to give the office a real reason as to why you quit." The conversation was over now, she could hear it in his voice. She was going to hang up. "Take care of yourself out there. It's bigger than you might think." That made Lyssandra smile, thinking about everything she'd been through that day. With that, she hung up, and left her phone in her apartment. She left everything, everything she thought she knew, back in her apartment. She closed the door, and gave her keys to her landlord.

 

Lyssandra was amazed at the technology of the Falcon, completely in awe of its existence. She did a full lap around it before climbing up the ramp, beginning her journey. 

"Poe, can you get us back to the Illenium system? Lyssandra and I need to talk some more." Rey took a seat in a booth, and Lyssandra followed.

"Yeah, can do. Give me a shout if you need anything." Poe disappeared down a hall, leaving them alone in the room.  Soon enough they were off of the ground. Lyssandra gripped onto Rey's arm frantically, nervous of an accident. She had never been in anything of a higher motor vehicle than a bus. She just listened to her breathing, nothing else. _In, pause, out, repeat._ Before she knew it, they had been floating, and it had felt like nothing. She released her grip.

"Sorry, I'm not used to anything that you guys are..." Lyssandra looked away, needing to take a mental break every couple of minutes, to process everything before her.  

"It's okay. Everything takes time." Rey put her hand on Lyssandra's shoulder, smiling when she looked up. 

 

Reaching D'Qar, Lyssandra struggled to breathe, and felt as if she was going to blow chunks. Air was just out of her reach, and she was beginning to panic. 

"Rey, I can't do this, it's too much..." She hyperventilated and hugged her knees, hoping everything would pass.

"Lyssandra, look at me, focus on my hands." Rey motioned her hands in front of Lyssandra's face, then put her hands on Lyssandra's arms. Running them from her shoulder, down to her fingers, and repeated, slower with each motion. The movement was so mesmerizing, but it shouldn't have been. Rey was doing something to her something so Lyssandra didn't have a clear mind any more. Rey was talking, but Lyssandra didn't know what she was saying. Reality was slipping away from her. She tried to focus on Rey's mouth, which was moving. There was a mumble that Lyssandra could hear, a murmur in the back of her head, and it wasn't her own voice. Lyssandra didn't know how Rey did it, but she had become the most relaxed person in the galaxy. She slowly came back to, and looked at Rey who was giggling at her. 

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, how did you do that?"

"Techniques of the Force, there are many things to learn." Rey hopped out of the booth, and grabbed her sack, tossing the strap over her shoulder. Lyssandra grabbed her duffle, throwing it over her shoulder, gripping on to the strap. She followed Rey, fearing they could get separated. Lyssandra felt so little, she was just a shadow compared to the sun. 

The ramp lowered, as they walked down it, Lyssandra gasped gazing on the horizon. She was so astonished at how it looked so much like Earth, she gripped Rey's wrist, pulling herself close to Rey's side. They stared at the horizon together, for what seemed like a lifetime. Both so content with the nature of it all. 

The cheering crowd had moved in on the Falcon, suffocating the team. Rey interlocked her fingers with Lyssandra's, and raised their joined hands. The crowd cheered harder, jumped higher, and surprisingly, let them easily through. The faces of the base had all seemed so friendly, and that eased Lyssandra's mind, and made her more hopeful for the future than she had ever been. 

Rey didn't bother trying to introduce Lyssandra to people yet, sensing that she was already extremely overwhelmed. Rey just guided her through the crowd, and into the buildings, eager to officially complete her mission. 

They arrived at his room, and waited outside for just a moment. 

"Please, come in."

Rey smiled, and looked to Lyssandra, who awaited her lead. She tilted her head to the door, motioning for her to go in.  Rey watched her expression change. All she did to ease her was put a hand on her shoulder and nod. With that, Lyssandra took a deep breath and made her way in. 

The room was small, and open. It didn't seem like a hospital room. Lyssandra finally laid eyes on the man, sitting cross-legged on the bed, with his eyes closed. He seemed to be meditating, and she didn't want to disturb him. 

"No need to be like a mouse, come in." His position didn't change, and Lyssandra wasn't even sure if he had opened his mouth. She closed the distance between them, just inches away from the bed. Her tongue felt fat, her palms were sweaty, and her breath trembled in the slightest. 

"Sir, my name is Lyssandra Birch. I, don't know what I'm doing here. But it feels right." 

Only then, did he open his eyes and look at her. As soon as her eyes met with his, any stress she thought she had was instantly lifted. His serene green eyes had enchanted her spirit, soothing her entire mind. It did feel right, it felt as if this is where Lyssandra should have been her whole life. 

"My name is Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master." He extended his mechanical arm to her, and smiled warmly. She took his hand gently, shaking it heartily. "I assume Rey has told you a lot about me," He got off of the bed and stood tall in front of Lyssandra.  

"Yes, she spoke well of you. I understand that you are the last Jedi Master, is it difficult?" She looked up at him, cautious, still taking her time to get completely comfortable.

"I didn't think so at first. As a younger man, I was incredibly excited to share my knowledge, to ensure the knowledge of the Jedi would be carried throughout the generations. And I'm sure Rey told you how everything had become so complicated in the last couple of years." He had begun to walk around the small room, only looking back to Lyssandra every now and again.

"She did, but only briefly, there was only so much time to talk on our way here..." She trailed off, remembering her day. She was beginning to become stressed again. Luke clicked his tongue, catching her attention in an instant.

"Your day must have been very hectic. Being introduced to new environments such as these, is draining. I feel your energy becoming weak. Go now, get accommodated, and get plenty of rest. We will talk more tomorrow." With a smile, and a wave of his hand, he dismissed her.

"Thank you, sir. I look forward to it." With a small bow of her head, she walked confidently out of the room. Rey still waiting for her in the hall. With the sight of Lyssandra, she shot up.

"How did it go?" She wore an eager expression, excited to hear about the conversation. Rey hoped that the would be able to go back to Ahch-To together, and resume training. 

"He called me a mouse." Lyssandra smiled, thinking back on it. "He also told me that we would talk more tomorrow, and that I should get accommodated."

"Right, okay. Let's go do that first. I guess that means we're still spending some more time here." Rey picked up her bag and took off down the hallway. Lyssandra following close behind. 

 

Luke was right, she was exhausted, and hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep as she needed. She did sleep well, with Rey in the room she felt safe. But she just needed more, but of course, no one was going to let her sleep all day. After she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she found Rey who was meditating in the corner of the room. Lyssandra thought she should take the same action, so she braided her hair, and dressed herself for the day. Fully awake, she took the place in front of Rey, facing each other. She assumed the same position and closed her eyes. She waited for a moment, and with assurance of the energy next to her, she opened her mind. 

Lyssandra remembered the first time she experienced the sensation, she was out on the ice. Emotionally destroyed, exhausted and alone. She didn't deny it, or shun it. She accepted it. She knew it was there and addressed it as a key moment in her life. It was when everything had changed. For the better? She wasn't completely sure yet. But she felt more at peace than she ever had in her entire life. Meeting Luke Skywalker had definitely helped her realize the importance of serenity and how critical it was to have in your life. Lyssandra questioned how she had ever gotten along without it. Her sense of calm, her place of calm had come clear to her mind. Where her spirit belonged in her meditative state. It was autumn, orange and yellow on the tall trees around her. She was in a clear, a thick wood around her. The blue sky above her, and the sunshine streaking through the blowing leaves. It was beautiful and completely where she wanted to be. She inhaled the smell of the earth and the crisp faint scent of the leaves gracefully floating to the ground around her. It had almost felt like home but it was so much better. She basked in the glory of her new surroundings for an eternity, feeling complete and so serene.

"Okay girls, even Jedi gotta eat!" Both Rey and Lyssandra were rudely pulled back to reality when crumbs had been tossed in their faces. Both of their eyes flashed open looking to who was in charge of the ambush. 

Poe and Finn sat on their beds, watching the girls stand up and scold them. The boys only laughed and offered breakfast as a peace offering. Accepting the offer, the girls collected the food and examined. Of course, Lyssandra had never seen any of the kind before, but she was never a picky eater. The small portion of a meal consisted of a biscuit, a fruit of the planet, and a shot of vitamin juice. Gobbling the spread, the girls thanked the boys in the end. Rey helped Lyssandra to her fruit, removing the two layers and popping out the thin slices of fruit, and licking the second layer. 

"So, what's on today's agenda? Will our team be active?" Poe tossed a telecom in the air, and caught it again and again. 

"I'm not sure, I know Finn and I have some clearing up to do..." Rey looked down and fumbled with her fingers. Finn did the same. "And Lyssandra has the day with Master Skywalker." Lyssandra could feel the eyes on her so brought her shoulders in and nibbled on her biscuit. 

"You're a shy little mouse, it's so cute." Poe smirked at her and tossed the telecom back up in the air. Lyssandra's eyebrows perked up and she let out a half-laugh, half-gasp.

"That's the second time someone's called me a mouse. Do I really resemble one, or?" Lyssandra gestured to her mouth and nose. Holding a smile.

A clamor of 'No!' and 'Of Course Not!'s filled the room, making the moment that much more enjoyable. 

"I mean, you seem a lot like a mouse. Your behavior, I guess? Mostly your timidness." Finn cleared up everything, talking over everyone, and being the gentle being he is, he brought everyone to agreement. He was the peacemaker of the team. Lyssandra could tell.

"Mouse, huh. That'd be a nice nickname." Poe gave her another smirk. 

"Well, I mean, I-" Lyssandra stammered, becoming embarrassed.

"That's it!" Rey threw her arm around Lyssandra and pulled her in for a half-hug. "You're our Mouse." They all laughed and smiled. The first team moment, welcoming the newbie with a nickname. Lyssandra felt at home. She didn't appreciate the name, but that's always a con to having a nickname given to you.

 "All right, Mouse, I'll take you to Master Luke and you can start your day with him." Rey made her way to the door. With a roll of her eyes, Lyssandra followed. 

 

"Good Morning, ladies. It's good to see you both this morning." He smiled warmly and dismissed Rey. "Lyssandra, perhaps you'd like to go for a walk on this lovely morning." He offered the way to the door of the room.

"Yes, I would love it." 

The air had a chill floating on the breeze, and traces of dew lingered on the ground. The sun had just begun to strike the base, still waking up itself. The two had followed a trail to the tree line of the forest surrounding the base, circling the perimeter, they began the discussion of the history of the Jedi. 

He spoke of his origins, the desert planet of Tattooine, his simple life of some sort of farming that Lyssandra didn't understand. How his family died, and how it started him on his path to becoming a Jedi. He spoke of how death is capable of changing people for the better. Experiencing death in your community, where it could be your family, friends or acquaintances, every time it changes your outlook on life. It reminds you that anything can happen to you when you least expect it, and that would be why you need to make life worthwhile. His family dying had showed him that he could still do something worthwhile while he was still alive, and do whatever it was, in memory of them.

It caught Lyssandra by surprise, the gentleness of how he presented the discussion. It helped her understand much easier, if the topic had been brought up any other way, Lyssandra thought she may have had something to say. But she didn't. She only listened.

He then spoke of Obi-Wan Kenobi, his first Jedi Teacher. A humble man, who had kept track of Luke since he was an infant, ensuring his safety until the moment was right to teach and train him in the ways of the Force. Speaking of his death had become easier for him over the years. He admitted that at first all he wanted to do was avenge him, but as his understanding grew, he set out to do what Obi-Wan wanted him to do. Which was to bring balance to the Force, and with the help of his father, he did. He spoke of his father, the pain Anakin had to go through, but as well as the love he always had for Luke.  

Jumping a few years ahead, he told her about the new Jedi students he had recruited. There were only a few, beginning small, he had said. He often took pauses, speaking about this point of his life had been slightly more difficult.  

"There is a Jedi precept that abstains Jedi Knights from having close connections to those around them. I'm always reminding Rey and myself of this precept. Perhaps that is why he had fallen..." He looked away from her, into the distance of the forest. "My nephew, Ben Solo was one of the students of the new generation. I disconnected myself from him in order to be fair, and keeping the precept in mind. I blame myself for the path he went down, because of that action." His tone had become very somber, along with his expression. Speaking of the transformation of Ben Solo into Kylo Ren, Lyssandra often gasped, or covered her mouth in shock. He explained how he had left, and went into hiding soon afterwards. While Kylo Ren had pursued the power of the Dark Side. Learning about Ben's fathers' death was the most surprising. She couldn't imagine the pain the family had to go through. Paying her respects, she apologized for his loss. 

"After she had fought him, and defeated him in battle, Rey had finally found me, in search of a teacher. At first, I was hesitant to teach again, but I didn't let that stop me. I have to continue my effort to ensure the Jedi ways." 

The sun higher in the sky, they took refuge in the forest, the tall trees shading them from powerful rays of the sun. 

In time, Lyssandra opened up to Luke as he did with her. She told him about her upsetting past, sparing no details. 

She spoke of what little memory she had of her parents. Even in the memories she had of them, she was always with her sister, they were ghosts in the background. The only clear memory she had of them, was them sitting on the couch, swigging whisky while her and Dimah watched a movie. She didn't remember their faces, but she didn't care about them so she never minded it. 

She remembered being pulled out of her home with Dimah while they watched idle, not even fighting for them. Even at such an early age Lyssandra knew that they didn't care for them. It wasn't a surprise to them when they were told by the agency that their parents had gone AWOL and they had been processed as CROWN Ward children. To be in the system until 18 years of age. As a young girl, it was upsetting, Lyssandra cried at the news, as she got older she realized there wasn't a point. 

"What about this sister of yours? Where is she today?" Luke had taken a seat on a moss bed, crossing his legs comfortably. 

"Oh, she has passed on to the spirit world." Sitting on the moss next to him, she positioned herself into the meditation posture. "Before Rey had found me, I was living my life completely alone. I had no one left, and that's a very big reason as to why I agreed to leave with her." With a hum, and a purse of his lips, he nodded his head. 

"Let us meditate."

Both entering their meditative settings, they stayed for hours, savoring it's beauty. 

"Lyssandra," Her eyes opened. "Would you do me the honor, of becoming a Padawan of mine, alongside Rey?" His eyes met hers, and she once again felt her stress lift. She felt her eyes water in happiness. Composing herself, she bowed her head.

"There is nothing I would rather do... Gikino'amaage*."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 Teacher
> 
> So yeah, I'm going to be incorporating Ojibwe words into Lyssandra's dialogue. And yeah, I'll just always do this.  
> This one's a little short, but I'm just trying to do a little tweaking to the future of the story. So hold tight.  
> Thanks for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days on D'Qar had been nothing but exciting for the team. Rey had introduced Lyssandra to everyone she had met on the base, including General Organa. She was gentle with them but Lyssandra knew that could change in a heartbeat if anyone pissed her off. She was a woman in power, a feminist icon. Lyssandra was in awe of her. Only hoping that one day she could be the same.

After seeing the entire base, and Lyssandra had begun getting acquainted with The Force, Master Luke had felt the three of them were ready to go back to Ahch-To to continue the training. His health was satisfactory and he was finally off of any medication. 

"Padawans. It is time to say good-bye." Luke had approached the team in the middle of their picnic out on one of the trails to the forest. He didn't enjoy pulling them away or seeing their reactions to his words. But he knew it was time, and there was not a moment to lose. 

"Yes, Master"

"Yes, Gikino'amaage"

The girls placed their food back into the baskets, and hugged the boys. They all embraced each other tightly, not wanting to let go. 

"Don't be strangers, come visit when you can." Finn spoke softly, whispering into Rey's neck he held her close, wanting to clear everything quickly.

"Always. Finn, I'm sorry for what happened back on Earth. It was a stupid thing to fight about." She held him as tightly as she could, reflecting Finn's affection.

"I shouldn't have kept anything from you. I'm sorry, too." Holding each other for not nearly long enough, they parted, and Rey held back a tear. She cleared her throat and wiped her nose.

"See you, Mouse." Poe kissed the top of Lyssandra's head. Giving her the umpteenth smirk. All she could do was smile and blush. She knew he was a taken man, but that had never stopped her from being her easily embarrassed self.

"Our ship is waiting, grab your things. Quickly." He turned swiftly, making his way back to the Base.

The girls hustled their way back to their room, shoving their things back into their sacks. Their hands had moved quickly, making sure nothing was left in the room as they left. Closing the door, they left without another thought towards it. 

"Why do you think Master Luke says we shouldn't have relationships?" Slowing down to Lyssandra's speed, Rey turned to her curious of her opinion.

"Well, I mean, it's the easiest way to hate someone. If you lose someone special at someone else's hands, then you're going to hate that person. That's not what being a Jedi is. Or, at least it doesn't sound like it." She tried to keep walking and make her way to the ship. But Rey wanted to talk. "Maybe that's why I'm Force-sensitive now, because I have no one left in the galaxy that I love." Lyssandra kept walking, moving past Rey down the hall. 

"Mouse, wait." It didn't take Rey long to catch up. "You don't really believe that do you? I mean, maybe it helps strengthen the power of The Force?" She looked hopeful, she wanted to have relationships so badly. She had gone so long without any, and when she had made some friends, she was forced to give them up. And because of it, she hadn't known her two best friends had been an item. 

"Maybe that's how you feel, but I think this it's just the best way to get rid of the 'What If's', do you know what I mean?" She kept walking.

"But what about us? We're friends, that would mean we're not supposed to be." Lyssandra didn't know why Rey brought up the topic so strongly. She wasn't prepared to answer these questions. She didn't even know how to answer anymore.

"Rey, I don't know what you're trying to get at here, bu-" The ground had suddenly lifted beneath them, and back down again, flinging Rey at Lyssandra, both falling to the ground. The walls hummed, and the ground vibrated. The lights in the hallway flickering on and off simultaneously, the girls looked around for answers. Soon after the halls had gone completely dark, the girls stood up, keeping each other a whisper away from each other. The wail of a siren blared through the buildings, a red light flashing, lighting the way. The red haze hadn't helped to ease their minds, it set their sense of calm right to the brink. 

"Rey, what's going on?" Lyssandra had grabbed her hand, gripping on to it, afraid to lose her. 

"I think... I think it's an air strike."

A moment passed.

"We have to find Master Luke." Bolting down the hallways, they stayed together. They were both on the edge of panic, but both stayed calm, for the sake of the other. Often stumbling in the patterns of darkness and red light, they linked arms, continuously supporting each other in the cases of weak ankles. The rumbles of the ground beneath hadn't stopped either, only lengthening their time of escape.

With a few cases of being lost, the girls had finally made it out onto the surface. Which brought no happiness, only horror. 

Black smoke had tainted the blue skies, craters replaced the air strips, and TIE Fighters had ruled the skies. Taking in the setting and coming to terms with reality, the girls acted swiftly. Stashing their sacks under some rubble, and running to those in need. 

Guiding or pulling on those still alive, they made fort in a cave made of rubble. Pavement from the airstrip leaned against one of the low entrances blocking any threats from the air. Assigning those able to treat wounds or stand lookout, Rey and Lyssandra set out again keeping their eyes and ears sharp for any cries for help. 

"Rey! Lyssandra!" The voice had perked both of their ears up from different areas of the base. Finishing up with whatever they were doing, the maneuvered themselves around the setting to where the voice had come from. Jumping over and climbing under, the girls found Poe Dameron underneath a small vehicle, his leg caught underneath an iron bar. 

"Poe, what happened?" The girls climbed down to his level, assessing the situation. He had blood trickling down on his chin, his face almost completely covered in black ash. "Where's Finn?"

"I sent him out looking for more help, there's no way he could help me by himself... I told him I was fine, but I think my ankle is broken." He tried to look down to it, but could only wince. He had to remain still in order to not worsen his state. 

"Shit. Okay... Lyssandra, we need to lift the vehicle." Rey shot Lyssandra an intense look, one that Lyssandra didn't want to understand. But she did. "We can do this, Mouse. Together." Lyssandra gave her a strong, assured nod. "On three,"

"One, Two," Positioning themselves correctly, they assumed a position that felt right. "Three!" A scream, then a gasp of relief. They had lifted the top of the vehicle, forcing it into an upright position next to Poe, but it no longer constricted him. Lyssandra was too caught up in the situation to celebrate, they immediately stood at Poe's sides. 

"Oh fuck, that's some crazy shit. Thank you, thank you girls." Poe rested his head for a moment, then supported himself up on his elbows, looking down at his leg. "Yup, that's broken."

"I can lift it. Rey, you'll pull him up and out. Okay?" Lyssandra jumped down to where the iron bar had caged his leg. She only had to lift it high enough that his limp ankle could slither out from underneath. She had forgotten what she used to bench, but it always impressed the guys at the gym.

Gripping the bar on either sides of Poe's leg, she looked up to Rey. Rey had crouched over behind Poe's head, his under arms underneath the insides of her elbows. Poe only closed his eyes and whispered something Lyssandra couldn't hear. With a mental countdown, she used every single muscle she had ever worked in her years and in seconds she managed to work the bar upwards. A growl lurking in her throat, she unleashed her raw hidden powers and lifted the bar the centimeters it needed to be. The leg out from underneath, she dropped it. It didn't look like it had moved, but Poe's leg was out and that's what had mattered to them. 

They split Poe's weight and carried him out of the crater, into the open. Making their way to the small fort, Poe squirmed in their arms.

"No, don't take me there, I need to be in the air, chasing the First Order out of here!" He wormed his way out of their grasps' and attempted to stand on his own. "I can fly, I don't need my feet." Looking at each other, Rey and Lyssandra came to a fast decision. _He's the best pilot in the Resistance._  Rey had told her through their Force connection. "There! That one is functional. I can tell." Pointing left of the fort, the girls carried him to a A/SF 01 B-Wing, almost shoving him into the cockpit.

"Not my first choice, but she'll do." He pulled his leg in, adjusting himself, and brought the engine to life in record time. "I'll go kick some First Order ass, keeping you girls in mind." Taking off instantly the girls had gone back to their rounds, looking for those in need.

 

" **Another wave! Take cover! Everyone!** " Not thinking twice about it, everyone ran into the fort and secured it, closing distance between the walls and the group. Those who were able had built makeshift pillars to support the pavement. To ensure it wouldn't cave in. The pillars had consisted of lager pieces of rubble strategically placed on top of one another, just underneath the ceiling of the rubble just to catch it. 

Half-hugging Rey through the wave, they gripped each other whenever a bomb had fallen. After only a few explosions, there was aerial warfare. Their eyes popped open, and they rushed out from underneath the rubble. Watching as the sky was splattered with gunfire, both First Order and Resistance ships in the air. There were numerous Resistance ships in the air now, not following any formation, which wasn't the greatest, but they stood a chance. 

"Should we go back out?"

"Always. Keep your senses sharp."

They broke out of the fort, running in opposite directions, the girls went out for another round. The girls always checked the areas they had already done, and only then would they go further. Lyssandra could recognize those Rey had introduced her to, using their names to help calm them down. Neither of the girls had found any injuries a severe as Poe's situation, they were so thankful for that. 

A familiar engine filled the air, soaring through the sky penalizing the enemies. Rey and Lyssandra cheered from their positions as the Millenium Falcon passed over just above their heads. They didn't know who was flying it, but they were glad it was operational and in battle. Lyssandra took a moment to analyze the warfare. The Resistance had finally pulled together and created formation, using drills and exercises to fight off the First Order. Often the First Order ships had fallen, exploding on the surface. Only a few Resistance ships had fallen. After organizing themselves, the Resistance had begun kicking some major ass, all kinds of their ships in the air. Soon after, Lyssandra spotted some medics scrounging the wreckage of the base. She guided a few to the fort they had made, and had most of them out helping on the field. 

Not having to use the Force again, Lyssandra was grateful it had come to her, and worked with her for when she needed it most. She brushed the thought to the side, reminding herself to celebrate later. 

 

Meters underground in rubble, Lyssandra climbed out when she had heard a different kind of alarm. It billowed throughout the area, being heard from lands far away. Then, cheering as the Resistance ships landed wherever they could find room. Sure, they had won the battle, but that didn't mean it was over. There were people that still needed help, and on her life, Lyssandra wouldn't rest until they were all in good hands. Every single soul.

 

"Mouse! Mouse, where are you?" Rey and Finn called out for Lyssandra, searching the grounds for her. They didn't have much luck at first, but eventually they did find her. It had been hours since the battle was won, and more hours later until the base was secured. The sun had set, but the rings illuminated the planet. Lyssandra had been sitting in a hole of rubble, positioned just right to look straight up to the sky. She had been staring at the rings for a short while, alone for a long while. She had found plenty more people to help, but the medics had told her to take a load off since they had the situations under control. 

"Mouse, are you okay?" Finn climbed down to her hole, and began examining her body. Poking and prodding at her muscles, she squirmed and slapped his hands.

"I'm fine, I'm just 'taking a load off' as the medics told me to do." She climbed out of the hole, and begun climbing out of the rubble back to the surface. The three of them overlooked the damage to the base. "How did you guys do?"

"We helped a lot of people. But we also lost a lot of people." Finn spoke softly and somberly, looking to the ground in shame. 

He and Poe had made their way to the airstrip to see the girls off after the picnic. Walking slowly, and chatting with those around them, they were in the open when the first set of bombs had fallen. The sky was cloudy for a moment, and that was when the First Order had striked. Catching the base with their pants down, the First Order had shown no mercy nor remorse. A bomb landed not far from Finn and Poe were standing, sending them straight into the ground. Poe had started sinking with rubble into a crater, screaming for Finn who had been knocked unconscious for only a moment. When he came to, he immediately searched for Poe, who even after he had been crushed under the vehicle, was still conscious and was still crying out for Finn. Finn climbed into the crater and assessed the setting.

"Finn, you can't help me on your own. You need to find help. Go!" Poe spoke abruptly and haltingly.

"I can't leave you here on your own! We'll wait." Finn frantically looked to the surface of the crater, praying that someone would look in. 

"Finn, I'm fine! But I do want to get out of here, so if you want to help, go find more help. Get out of here!" Poe looked up to Finn, his eyes stinging and his lip trembling. Poe was in heaps of pain, it surged throughout his body, burning him from the inside, then out. He couldn't admit it to Finn, and didn't want him around for when his state would be discovered. He held back his tears when Finn had started crying. "Finn, don't. Not right now. Too many people need our help, and I'm one of them. Go." Finn wiped his cheeks and kissed his fingers, stretching his hand down to Poe's forehead. 

"I'll come back as soon as I can, you can bet your life on it." Finn acted quickly, pulling himself out of the crater and immediately yelled for help. He knew he had to find able people to help, which would take a while. Finn hustled around the base, helping people out of their own situations and recruited a small team to help Poe. It took much longer than Finn had hoped. For when he returned to the crater, the vehicle was lifted, and Poe was gone. Pushing away his fear for him for the moment, he ordered the team to spread out and begin helping others. Finn continued on like that until he had found Rey who was tending to the partially wounded. Aiding small cases of injuries while the medics dealt with the more serious cases. Together they began to look for Lyssandra.

 

Lyssandra made her way back to where her and Rey had stashed their packs. She ripped hers open and raided the contents. Nearly emptying the bag, she held up a pack of tobacco cigarettes, showcasing them to the stars. She tucked the pack into her pocket and changed her course to the trails. She didn't realize Rey and Finn had been still following until they broke the silence.

"What are those? And where are we going?" Jumping at the questions she looked back to them, pausing her trek. 

"Oh, well... It's no peace pipe, but it's just something that I should do. It's something I would do back where I come from, in this moment." She turned around, sitting cross legged on the grass. She pressed down on the grass, creating an offering she broke a cigarette in half and emptied it onto the flat grass. Lyssandra murmured an Ojibwe prayer she had learned back in her high school. She closed her eyes. Standing up and gathering twigs and loose grass, she made a pile close to the tobacco. Sparking a piece of rubble and iron together, she started a small fire. Looking down to her small achievement she chuckled to herself. Thinking back on Earth, her sister hated that she smoked. But Lyssandra quit for her. Smiling, Lyssandra leaned down and lit the cigarette. Repeating the prayer, she brought the smoke of it into her mouth, lingering on her tongue. Then the tobacco slowly rolled out of her mouth and danced its' way up to the sky. She brought the lit cigarette back up to the sky and took another hit of it. Never inhaling she always let the smoke roll off of her tongue. When the cigarette had burned completely, Lyssandra dropped the butt into her small fire, then sprinkled the laid out tobacco onto it, the smoke lifting high into the sky. She watched the fire slowly lose its life as it degraded into embers, then ash. She repeated her prayer once more then thanked her Creator. Standing up and turning to her friends, who had watched her entire makeshift ceremony, she hugged them both tight. They returned the gesture, almost lifting her off of the ground. 

"How's Poe?" She whispered in between their heads. She had really hoped that he would be okay. She would miss that dashing smirk of his if anything were to happen to him.

"He's already in the infirmary getting his cast applied." Rey murmured in her ear.

"He'll be able to rest in his own bed, because they need the room there." Finn chimed in.

"Guys, for as many as we lost here today, we saved just as many who will work hard to ensure their deaths weren't in vain. We have to remember that." Lyssandra didn't want to let go, she needed to make sure that they didn't blame themselves for any soul who didn't make it. They embraced each other for a long while, all of them needed someone, and they were so lucky to have each other.

 

"General Organa wishes your presences in her office quarters, immediately." A guard had called out to them from afar. Finally, they pulled away and shuffled to the operational sections of the base.

 

"I'm so happy you're all okay." General Organa wore a suit of stress, the look completely wore her down. Her eyelids were heavy, her heels stung with each step. She was exhausted, they all were. Sitting behind her desk she gestured for them each to take a seat. "Now, straight to the point. I haven't seen Luke since yesterday, and I know you two were supposed to leave with him today." She gestured to Rey and Lyssandra, pointing out the bug in the setting. "But obviously, you didn't leave. So I must ask you, where is he?" The question hung in air as it spilled from her mouth. No one had an answer for her, and that made her fidget.

"General, we haven't seen him since early this afternoon. He came to tell us we were leaving, and as we were gathering our things the," Rey gulped. "The first round of bombs had fallen when we were on our way to the airstrip."  

"So no one has seen him?" Silence. "None of my guards have seen him in the last 12 hours." Another silence. The General held her wrist to close to her face and pushed down on the wristicom. "Put a complete search for Luke Skywalker. I want half of those who are able searching, the other half shift-changing at first light." She looked to the three. "You three are on the first light search. I know how hard you worked today. The Resistance thanks you for your service." The General stood and held her hand out for all of them to shake. After they all did shake her hand they were dismissed.

"Lyssandra, I don't know about you, but I'm going out to look for him." Rey held Lyssandra's arm, holding her close.

"I understand, but we need rest, all three of us. You won't be much help if you can barely keep your lids open." Lyssandra pulled herself free of her grip and grabbed her arm right back. "Finn, grab her." Finn did indeed grab her and helped pull Rey into the direction of the east corridors. Successfully convincing Rey to get some sleep, Lyssandra tucked her in, then herself. She was almost asleep when a terrifying thought popped into her head.

"What if we don't find Gikino'amaage Luke?" Lyssandra had barely whispered, intending to talk to herself. The words were poison in the room. Thoughts that shouldn't have been spoken. 

"For once, I don't know what to tell you. But for now, let's just sleep." Rey turned over accepting the poisonous thoughts, but putting them to rest in less than a minute. Lyssandra had a slightly harder time, but eventually, she regretfully fell into a deep unbreakable slumber.


	8. Part 2

Rey and Mouse had no idea that their search for Master Luke would last for 5 years. No one had a single trace or track of Luke. He had disappeared once again, but he had left no map to be discovered. On D'Qar it would have seemed he had left every single thing of his behind. Right down to the robes he wore when he had fetched the girls to leave. In his quarters laid his robes, his lightsaber, and the book he wrote. It was all found in his quarters, they tore it apart looking for some sort of clue. They never found anything, after they had scoured the entire base, above and beneath, he left no trace. Eventually they found there was an unaccounted aircraft in a smaller division hangar. Those vehicles were untouched in the assault since they were not warfare vehicles. It was their only lead on Luke. With that information, Rey and Mouse knew what they had to do. Collecting his things, they boarded the Millenium Falcon with Chewie and began a search for Luke Skywalker, once again.

In the beginning of their journey, they searched each planet for at least a month, checking small villages and major cities. They had always tried to visit any sacred temples or grounds, but often had little luck. They were hopeful to find him, but the flame of hope dwindled with each year that passed. In the first months, Rey decided that she would teach Mouse everything she knew from the book, then learn whatever was left, together. They learned together quite well, always taking their time to understand every concept as best they could before moving on. Rey didn't think of herself as Mouse's Master, and didn't make Mouse call her that. They were just two friends learning side by side, the ways of the Force, and the different cultures around the galaxy. Not only did they learn from the book of meditations, but they had used the meditation stances of the planets they visited.

Learning the galaxy was not an easy task, considering it was a heavy side task considered to their heavier main task. Although it was the best times of their lives. Chewie would often know people from the planets they visited and left Rey and Mouse to explore the towns and villages on their own. Which they didn't mind, they found it interesting trying to infer the languages Rey didn't know, and participating in unexpected events in the community. The communities often gave the girls food and water, sometimes small trinkets or gifts. They didn't understand why, but there was never a point in trying to deny them. 

They enjoyed their time, it's what both of them had always wanted to do, see places they never knew and learn from them. It was amazing, their willingness to learn everything around them.

 

"Mouse, I dare you to try this." Rey held up what looked like some sort of uncooked squid it's eyes glossed over it's tentacles pale. Mouse grimaced. Sitting tall, she sliced a tentacle and dressed it with seasonings. Not thinking too hard about it, she bit into it, grinding her front teeth to get a piece off. It didn't taste awful, but the texture was nothing to be a fan of. It was incredibly squishy which made it hard to chew. With time, she swallowed and slammed back her drink and threw her arms in the air. Some of the civilians cheered with Mouse, congratulating her on finishing the food. 

The girls had found themselves in the Outer Rim on the planet of Ryloth, home planet of the Twi'leks. They had been lovely hosts, especially since they had been celebrating quite the holiday. The three moons of the planet were to align in the evening and the Twi'lek treated such as a holiday. There had been a lovely community feast prepared in the village they had been visiting, and music playing in what looked like the village square. The children were having the most fun, running about playing games, or dancing. While the young people flirted, or danced themselves, while the adults and elders watched and, or ate. There were no other outsiders other than the three of them. Chewie often chuffed talking about the food, he was so content, trying a little bit of everything on the tables. He enjoyed being with them. He had given up the smuggling business for now, until they had found Luke, because for the moment, there was nothing he would rather do, than run around the galaxy and see old friends.

Rey and Mouse went on like that, daring each other to try new food or beverages, trying to assert some sort of dominance. It never worked since they had been going on like that for quite a while. Each planet they always tried new foods, or clothing, no matter how silly it looked on them, or how strange the food seemed.

A young Twi'lek boy had taken a spot next to Mouse, casually nudging against her side, but not trying to speak with her. She looked to him, then back to her food. He continued to brush against her but didn't pay attention to her. She scooted closer to Rey and then he mirrored her. 

"I think you've got an admirer." Rey whispered into Mouse's ear. Almost giggling then she turned back to her food.

"I don't want one... I have to go to the wash room." Mouse put her utensils down and climbed out from under the table, looking around for a rest room. The boy grabbed Mouse's hand and pulled her out into the dance. Mouse would have fallen over with the aggression he used pulling on her hand, but he pulled her to balance and brought her close. She was breathless, completely unprepared, and nervous. She didn't want to start a scene so she just slowly played along.

He didn't try to grind against her, or lean in for a kiss. He had a hold of her forearms and just swayed them to the beat of the music. He was just being friendly. Or at least, Mouse had hoped. As Mouse began to accept the offer of the dance, she got more and more into the beat and melody. It was a sweet tune, one made for gentle movements, that was the action Mouse took, until the song ended abruptly. The boy smiled and spun her around as the next upbeat song had started. Squealing at the turn of events, she tried her hardest to keep up with the boy. She didn't know if there was a proper way to dance, so she managed to just mirror him and hope for the best. Getting more and more used to the dance, she found herself laughing and smiling, and when she looked over, Rey and Chewie were clapping to the beat watching her. This never happened to her in her time amongst the galaxy, but she was glad. She always had loved to dance, she never tired of it, and she was glad this young boy had the nerve to ask her.

After the song had ended Mouse bowed down to the boy and thanked him for the dance. He only smiled and tipped his head to her.

"What is your name?" He struggled to say, but he managed and his smile remained wide. The music was still loud, and it was hard for Mouse to hear him. 

"Oh, my name is Lyssandra, but my friends call me Mouse. What's yours?" She pulled him out of the square away from the music. Scurrying around a hut, it was more quiet and they were alone. 

"My name is Shono." His lekku tips trembled in the slightest, and his spotted face tinted to pink. 

"Thank you for the dance, Shono." His smile widened from ear to ear. Mouse gave him a small peck on his cheek, and made her way back to her friends. Rey had also made a friend, a younger girl who was admiring her hair buns. Chewie was still eating.

"Oh, hey! Those were some great dance moves you pulled out there." Teasing, Rey did a small swaying movement with her arms.

"I'd like to see you get out there." She took her seat and sipped on some juice. "No, but it was actually very fun, that boy was very nice." 

The rest of the evening was very relaxing, the music had slowed, and the food had been eaten. The sun was setting and the moons were coming into view. The three of them had laid back in their chairs, digesting and waited for the alignment. They were interested in seeing it, and seeing whatever the people did in the moment. Until Shono tapped on Mouse's shoulder, gesturing for her to follow. Which she did.

"I have the most great spot to watch the moons." He took her hand and led her away from the village. They didn't go very far, but they did go up a very steep rock, almost having to rock climb. They reached a ledge that had a dug out shallow cave. "I used to hide here, from my _nerra._ He is very mean." He offered Mouse a seat next to him, she did and hung her legs over the edge, resting back on her hands. 

"It is very nice up here." She looked out to the plains of the land, there wasn't much to look at now since the sun had just gone down, but it was still nice to be high up. Mouse didn't have much time to just sit and admire, today was very different compared to their usual schedules. It had been forever since she had danced with someone, or been able to sit and admire the stars. They were always around the villages asking for Gikino'amaage Luke, looking for sacred grounds, or training. They never wasted any time on any planet. Which was efficient, but it was also very fast-paced. They never got used to anything but the Falcon, but Mouse had felt that might help Rey with her attachment needs. The ever-changing settings would always prepare her for feeling the same way towards people. Mouse knew how hard it was for Rey to keep from relationships, because she still holo'd Finn and Poe every time they left a planet. Mouse didn't see the point in updating them every month but she knew Rey could never let go of it. 

"Not as nice as your face." His lekku tips trembled again, his smile warm. Mouse giggled at the compliment, but she knew as soon as she heard him first speak that he wasn't the most fluent. And wasn't as smooth in the game as he probably could have been. But the compliment was accepted all the same. Mouse returned a smile and thanked him. She looked back up at the sky, the moons becoming clearer in the sky. He was a nice boy, his pink splotches patterned amongst his light purple skin. She didn't notice before, but he had what looked like tattoos ringing around his lekkus. They looked like tribal tattoos and Mouse was in love with them.

"Were you... born with those?" Mouse motioned to his lekkus just barely brushing over them. He shivered, then pulled one over his shoulder. 

"No, I earned them on my journeys to the jungles. When I returned the village painted them." He traced the designs with his fingertips. The arcs in the rings made his fingers skate across his lekku. They were completely symmetrical to his other lekku which Mouse found so satisfying. It reminded herself of her own time back on Earth. She took off her jacket and pulled up her t-shirt sleeve, revealing her tattoo.

Mouse hardly ever revealed it because no one had ever really asked her about it. Nevertheless, Mouse had a wisteria vine rooting on her left shoulder blade looping and arcing up to her top shoulder, and blooming down the ball of her shoulder. The flower bloomed down about halfway between her shoulder and elbow, making it easily hidden with most of her wardrobe of t-shirts and jackets. There was no special story or meaning behind it. But Mouse had loved the way they had fallen and dwindled in size. She also loved the name of the flower. _Wisteria._  It did look good on her dark skin and what made it so lovely was the spontaneity of it. That side of her was beginning to come back to her alongside Rey, it had abandoned her after her sister left her on her own. Shono was mystified by her lovely body art, he thought it captured her spirit. Strong at the roots and vines, beautiful and blooming as her appearance. His fingers hovered just above the ball of her shoulder.

"May I touch you?" He looked to her for her permission before laying his fingers down.

"If you allow me to touch yours." Mouse nodded and smiled at him. His fingers were hot and she embraced the warmth. At first, his fingers just danced along the vines of the tattoo, then his palms rounded on her shoulder.

"It is a very lovely piece. Thank you." Shono took his hand off and leaned his head closer for her to touch his lekku. Mouse was hesitant to touch at first but eventually her fingers gently pressed on the soft skin. Her cold hands made him excited and the tip of his lekku wiggle and worm. She traced the arcs with her nails, tickling him gently. Then ran her fingers down to the tip.

"Yours are lovely too. I've had a nice day here, thanks to you, Shono." She dropped her hands her thighs and she smiled so brightly to her new friend. 

"You have made my day very nice, too." His lekku tips were constantly wiggling and his face was always pink. She was flattered but she didn't want to lead him on too much. She thought he was cute and kind, but that wouldn't matter come the next day. She would have to leave and have a little chance of ever coming back. 

"Shono, I just want to-" Before she knew it, Shono was falling down the side of the rock. She followed the sight of him over the ledge. "Shono!" She watched him fall as he gripped his throat with one hand, and reached out for her with the other. It wasn't a long fall, but he would definitely be hurt when he hit the ground, and if hit the wrong way he would die. Her eyes watered over in an instant and her throat burned. She looked away as he fell closer to the ground. She opened her eyes and grabbed her jacket but she didn't notice someone else had been up there with her. Her entire body went numb with ice.

A big black boot was stepping on her jacket her hand almost meeting it. Her head slowly moved up to see who it was but was disappointed to find no face to the being. Just a black mask with hollowed out eyes. Her blood was boiling, her heartbeat quickened tenfold.  She had no body control and couldn't find the strength to even call out for anything. Her body only shook.

"Time has definitely treated you well. How long has it been? 5 years?" The being crouched down to her level, staring her straight in the face. The dents and marks across the mask intimidated her making her lip tremble. The deep, rough voice intimidated her beyond belief, but for all she knew it could have been a small alien behind the mask. She composed herself, lengthening her breaths, and wiping the moisture of her palms on her pants. 

"Why would you do such a thing to that innocent boy?" She peeked just over the ledge listening on the ground below. She could hear him groaning, and his heart beat was just half a beat slower than her own. _He's alive, for the moment._ She hid her relief from the figure behind her. 

"I believe you know, but you choose not to believe it. It's what my mission always has been.  _Destroy the Jedi._ He was in the way _._ " With those words she knew who it was. Kylo Ren had finally caught up to them, not only caught but he snuck up on them. They were so caught up in learning they had forgotten about the Knight that was still lurking in the galaxy. With a wave of his hand he willed for her to go to sleep. She fought against it, turning away from him and hit her temples with her palms, blocking the will. With a swift movement she threw her left arm up, shielding herself and pushed towards him. It was meant to be a small movement of the Force and it worked with her in the precise movement she wished. It had sent Kylo stumbling a few steps backward giving her just enough time to stand up. Facing him, she was still quite a ways under his height, which she found useful. She flexed three fingers and jabbed for his neck. Her fingers dove just under his mask right below his Adam's apple, making him choke and cough. Mouse went to the ledge and without a second thought she jumped from it. The adrenaline controlling her actions, the air beat hard against her face. She was positioning herself to break her own fall when everything had ceased. Gravity and the Force had been fighting against each other over Mouse's position. She was so close to the ground and she was no longer moving any closer to it. He'd frozen her position in mid-air.  

Mouse breathing in, then out, one step at a time. And with the time it took Kylo to reach the bottom of the rock, she managed to unlock her head from his hold. Imitating the frozen position she stared at him, fire burning within. And with a deep inhale she screamed for Rey. Becoming annoyed with the powers she had grown over the years, he let go of her and let her drop to the ground next to her Twi'lek friend. He intended to put her to sleep manually. She looked up to him, her face had become that of a complete bitch.

"Why me? Why not go after Rey?" She spit in his direction, and sat up.

"This way I have something she wants, something she'll do anything to get back." Letting the serpent words slither from his mask he raised his fist and hit her hard just outside of her eye socket, using the Force to assist the blow. And as fast as a snap of the finger, she was out. She was a very light person. He easily picked her up and threw her torso over his shoulder. He marched his way to where the Upsilon resided, quite a way from the village. 

Kylo whipped his torso around to find a sight he was hoping he would, but also wouldn't see. The scavenger was running towards him, staff in hand, anger on her face. Kylo cursed under his breath and forced her back to the ground. She reacted quickly and was up and running again in less than a second of being off the ground. He only ran from her, the Upsilon in sight. He didn't care if he hurt the girl, so when close enough, he threw her to the Troopers standing guard. Immediately, they brought her aboard, and Kylo didn't care where they put her, but she was in his clutches now, and that's what mattered. 

She caught up to him and javelin threw her staff aiming for him. It was only for a distraction while she drew her saber and leaped high in the air towards him, igniting it in the air. With a growl rumbling in the back of her throat she brought her saber down on him, the purple haze glowing against their faces once again. 

"I can't let you take her." The words could have killed. Her teeth never parted. If Kylo was anyone else, he would have been scared, but Kylo only admired it. 

"Your attempt to stop me is useless. You're not the only one who has strengthened over the years." Kylo pushed against her with a force Rey wasn't prepared for. She had flown back a few meters but when she landed the ground rumbled underneath her. Kylo had still been facing her, his hands out, instructing the Force. Rey's legs and abdomen had sunk below the ground, she clawed at the ground around her to grab hold. Then, it had stopped and the ground had become it's more solid texture. Kylo Ren had turned from her and strolled his way back to his ship. Rey began to panic, her expression twisted into a scared fragile being as to the fierce, intimidating woman she was a minute ago. She stammered and frantically began to dig herself out. The ground was tough, the soil thick and hardened. It was no use to try, but Rey did anyway, she wouldn't give up on her friend. Her throat was beginning to swell, she couldn't lose hope, not now. 

Chewbacca leaned over and ripped Rey out of the ground, his focus to get her out rather than to safely do it. She didn't care about the pain of her stretched ribs, Kylo's ship was preparing to take off. She knew she wouldn't make it to the ship in time, but her emotions over whelmed her. 

" **Lyssandra!** " The ship had taken off and went into hyperdrive only a few stories off of the ground. Rey fell to the ground her knees slamming hard against the tough ground. It wasn't only that her friend had been captured, but she had been defeated by Kylo Ren. Someone she had defeated before with absolutely no training. Her heart sunk deep, then deeper. The defeat began eating at her immediately. Her senses flooded back into her mind, and she sat up and began running. 

Rey poked the Twi'lek boy with her staff, it took a while, but eventually he came to. Throwing his hands in the air, he looked to Rey with fear on his face.

"What happened?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short one. I don't have an excuse on why it's so late. Sorry.   
> But yes, I have plans, and hopefully I will upload them on time, or close to it.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	9. Chapter 9

Mouse found herself in a cell, with her open eye, she examined every aspect of the cell. There wasn't much to it, but there never was to any cell.  Finally, she assessed herself. She wasn't bound, but she was almost too sore to move. She didn't remember much at the moment, she remembered Shono being shoved, and Kylo Ren was her captor. She remembered his intent on capturing her, but that was it. Slowly, she brought her hand up to her right eye, careful to make her movements paced. Relaxing her face she gently placed three fingertips over the swollen area and with the pressure of a feather landing, she pressed on her eye, trying to find how big the affected area was. Winces and groans later, she found the bruising had bloomed up to her temple and as low as below her cheekbone, and the entire eyelid was swollen shut. She sat up, and crawled to the middle of the cell. She didn't want to be there, so she escaped to her meditative state. 

It was dark there like the sun was being blocked. It was also cold, despite being autumn in her state, it was colder than any other time she had been there and it didn't feel safe. She tried to slow her breathing but it failed when she saw a darkness closing in from the wood. It looked like a pack of hunting wolves surrounding her, just waiting to make the kill. Pulling out of her meditation she brought her knees up and covered her temples. She whispered for him to get out, she knew he could hear her. He did back off, but he didn't leave.

Thinking back to her training, her second year travelling, the forest planet of Kashyyk, home planet of the Wookie, she remembered the swamps. Her and Rey had been practising muscle control and force shields. It came back to her easily and comfortably, the lesson was blocking your thoughts from other Force-users. Practising on each other was easy, but with Kylo it was proving to be more difficult. She completely cleared her mind and set up the walls in her mind, using techniques from Earth as well. He was out. She managed to kick him out. She didn't know how long the walls would last or the overall strength of them. But with quiet, for now, she figured there was only one way to get better. She stood up, stretched, and went through every yoga pose she knew, incorporating meditation stances as well. She did all the ones she knew and did them again. And again. She figured if he wasn't going to bind her and left her alone, she may as well get some exercises done. During her poses she gave herself Force trivia, asking herself questions from various lessons and recalling the answers. _What are the cells living in us that work with the Force? The midi-chlorians. Who was conceived by midi-chlorians? Anakin Skywalker._  She went on like that for hours, stretching her body, and testing her mind. It was quiet but not quite peaceful, considering the circumstances. She often heard people passing by, but paid no mind, since they didn't. 

Later on, she did feel better, most of her muscles no longer sore and her flow with the Force stronger. She needed rest. She also needed food. She didn't know if they were going to give her any, but she had been awake for hours, and Kylo knew she was awake. But she wanted to sleep, so she leaned against the wall and crossed her ankles over one another. She didn't really sleep, she didn't want to risk a possibility of her walls falling down. She was glad she did.

It wasn't long until she heard boots stomping down the hall outside of her cell. They stopped just outside the door, the shadows of the feet creeping into the cell. Her eye opened and waited. The door slid to the side. 

"Good morning. I hope you slept well, because I have the day planned." The same mask that had once terrified her was behind the door. She kept a straight face now, there was no room for fear in her confined mind. "Considering you've managed to shut me out all night, I can only assume that you have in fact, not slept. Which is fine by me. You will follow me now." He waved a hand, trying to use the Force but it didn't work on her with the walls.

"I'm going to follow you on my own free will, not because you willed me into doing so. I'm not as fragile as I used to be." Mouse stood up and stood as tall as she could in front of him, looking up to the hollowed eyes. He didn't have a retort, he only turned his back and walked incredibly fast. Mouse didn't struggle to keep up. She had to walk alongside Chewie who walked nothing but fast. There were two Storm Troopers behind her, escorting them to what Mouse believed was West. Kylo always made sharp turns in attempts to throw her off but it never worked. Her senses were sharp and she had no intent of dulling them.

He stopped in his tracks, and looked to the opposite side of Mouse. Which was a signal for the Troopers to grab her. Mouse wasn't surprised so she did little to fight against them. Both of the Troopers hooked their arms under her armpit and half-lifted half-dragged her into the room, and strapped her into some binding contraption. She was able to stand in it but since all of her limbs were strapped in she didn't feel like she was standing.

"Why bother putting me in a cell for the night if you were just going to put me here?" She didn't fuss to being strapped in. She didn't see the point. She was an analyzer. She would rather take the time to get to know her entire setting before trying to break free of it, and it was her plan to do just that.

"That's because this isn't your permanent residence. Your cell is where you will sleep for the night, and here," He gestured to the contraption and the room. "Is where you will spend the day, mostly with me."He stood in front of her again, towering over her small yet defiant frame. 

"Let's begin." He strolled casually around the contraption, Mouse following him with her eye the best she could. "You managed to shut me out of your head in less than an instant, preventing me from finding the information I want from you. How?" The mask lowered his voice, making it sound automated but it intimidated all the same. 

"Well, I don't know what you think we've been doing for the last 5 years, but it wasn't spent playing 'Hide the Zucchini'." Mouse eased herself, making herself not take the interrogation too seriously. She was just trying her best to stay focused on the shield while still answering his questions. Suddenly a surge stabbed into her hip causing her to cry out. Recovering quickly, she panted and looked to him. "No sense of humor?"

"I'm not interested in playing games. I want answers, and I intend on getting them." He gave her another surge in the leg but she was prepared and only gave a grunt of discomfort. She was strong and defiant, but not in the same way Rey was. Rey still had a gentleness to her, one that Mouse might have had long ago, but it was gone. Mouse was a different kind of strong. A strong that was one she carried for other people, if she wasn't being strong for herself, she was doing it for someone else. 

"Then we're in for a quite a bit of fun, aren't we?" She looked up at him with a seductiveness that would have made any man want to sleep with her. Even with her black eye, she was still charming as ever.

 "If that's what you wish to call it. Then, yes." Standing in front of her once again he looked her over, finally being able to get a really good look at her. If he didn't have to hit her, he would have really liked her in the moment. She was a very beautiful young woman, and her spirit was one to definitely admire. Her dark skin reminded him of the glow of a escuro bean, tanned and smooth. Her eyes dark like a brew of caf, wide and curious like that of a young buck. Her long braid was thick, tangling down it's way to sprig at her hip. But she was no Rey. Suddenly, she shot him a look of judgment. Her brows furrowed closer together and her eyes had waves of confusion crashing against Kylo's mind. She had heard him when he thought about Rey. 

"Let's talk about her then. Where is she?" He turned the conversation in his favor, hoping the girl would like to talk about Rey as well. 

"Well, how long have I been here? Because that's how long it's been since I've last seen her." Kylo grabbed her throat and squeezed. She reacted slowly but her face didn't. Red bloomed on her face instantly, her lips tinting purple. Gritting his teeth, Kylo let go and gave a small grunt and turned away. He found it strange how she didn't gasp for breath, she only panted and breathed deeply. 

"I don't think you understand how much I need these answers, I-"

"No, I do know, I know how important my thoughts are to you. And that is why I will tolerate everything you do to me before I ever give you any information." She spit away from him, and looked back up to her with the same defiance as Rey had in the exact spot. Kylo clenched his fists, his nails dug into his palms too dull to break skin, but it irritated all the same. 

"Then we are going to have some fun." 

 

The Twi'lek boy gave Rey little information that mattered. She dismissed him and sent him on his way back to the village. She tried to control her emotions by breathing deeply. It did work, but it took time. She was distraught but she wasn't going to let anyone know that.

"We need to go after them. Chewie, let's leave. Now." Rey hustled to collect her things, picking up anything that was Mouse's and threw it aboard the Falcon. Chewie did follow her around, not saying anything until Rey tried to enter the cockpit. Only then did he try to stop her. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him. His growl was low and long, he tilted his head and gave two huffs. He was right. They did need to think and have a plan.

"But the more time we spend thinking, the farther away he gets from us and more time alone with her!" She really didn't want to cry but it was becoming very difficult to hold back the tears. She blinked them away and tried making her way back into the cockpit but he stopped her again and pulled her in for a hug. He hugged her with the right pressure. She experienced the rib-breaking ones, but that wasn't one. It was sincere, and it made him feel like a pillow. Rey gave in and hugged him back tenderly. 

"We'll go to D'Qar and tell the General, she'll help us think. Yeah?" She looked up to the nodding furball and smiled. 

The two placed the Falcon down on the West landing strip, closest to the combat airships. Rey had hoped Poe would be around and she would be able to find him right away. Clearing the ship, she bolted from the ramp and immediately began searching for her friends, or General Organa. The base had underwent some serious renovations because Rey didn't know how to get anywhere, any more. She looked around trying to find some sense of familiarity. She spent quite a while trying to figure out where she was, and where to go. She didn't mean to but she ended up wandering the base and no one paid her any mind. 

The only people she remained in contact with was Finn and Poe but they never told her about all the changes to the base. They  would tell her about relief and supply runs. The occasional run-in with First Order sympathizers, but for the most part, the war was quiet. For all Rey knew. She didn't know what to do since she couldn't find her friends, or navigate herself around the base. She walked back to the Falcon, trying her hardest to retrace her steps. 

The sun had set and she was met with the familiar illumination of the rings. She enjoyed being back but it wasn't so nice since she was in such an emergency. Chewie was tending to the Falcon and Rey watched as everyone had soon enough scurried into the buildings or underground hangars. She figured everyone was in the cafeteria for dinner about now, so she tried to comm the boys. To Rey's excitement the holo of Poe's lovely face came to view. 

"Poe! I'm so glad you answered. Where are you?" Rey held the holo close as if for dear life. 

"We're eating right now, can we talk later?" Poe slurped a noodle and then motioned to terminate the holo. 

"No, well, I guess we technically could. Can you guys come find me? I think I'm on the North Air Strip but that's all I know." Rey's cheeks blossomed with red and she brought her shoulders close in embarrassment. The noodle shot out of Poe's mouth and his face brightened in a millisecond. 

"You're on D'Qar?! What the- Okay, we're on our way!" The image disappeared into the holochron and Rey waited patiently for the boys to come to her rescue. It wasn't long until she heard them calling for her. She stood up instantly and called back to them. They ran to her, and embraced her instantly and lifted her off the ground. As soon as they began to question her reason of being there she started to cry. Through her blubberings they understood the basics of her story. She wanted to be reassured and comforted until she could comfortably tell everything and think of a plan. The boys did just that, they gave her water and a warm bed to sleep in for the night and promised that everything would work out. Tucking her in, they untied her buns, slipped her out of her tunic, pulled off her boots, and embraced her one last time. As soon as her head rest on her pillow, her fatigue caught up to her and she was asleep in an instant. 

 

Mouse was still unable to crack, but she was definitely becoming exhausted. His techniques with the Force gave Mouse something to admire but everything he did to her still hurt. His questions weren't always something she actually knew. He had tried to ask about the Resistance but Mouse had never known much. He also tried asking where Luke was and she didn't have to hide that answer from him.

"He went MIA five years ago." She relaxed while she could, hoping that he would accept her answer. He didn't place his hands on her again but his Force attacks still caused bruises and cuts all over her body. Her bones were becoming weak and he knew that.

"MIA meaning?" He pinched her skin underneath her third rib, walking around the contraption. He was becoming tired, having to put up with her innuendos and delusions all day, he wanted to throw her back in the cell and go to bed.

"Missing In Action, sir!" Her face went serious as if she was a Storm Trooper. "I would salute but my hands are kinda," She budged her wrist shaking the bind in the slightest. 

Kylo's interest peaked magnificently. His head whipped around to face her almost cracking it. 

"He's gone? The Jedi Master is no more?"

"No, you idiot. He's still kicking, just gone. That's what Rey and I have been doing, we've been looking for him." It had finally set in Kylo's mind. They spent their time training and looking for Luke, and that's why they were on the planet of Ryloth. There was no other reason to be there. 

"So how have you two learned so much without him?" He returned to his continuous stroll. Not tiring of the views of the small room. But then, the girl had gone quiet. She had no answer or retort to give. His interest peaked once again. "Well, I suppose that'll be all for tonight. After all, we have all the time in the universe." Kylo unlocked the binds and pulled her off of the contraption. He looked to her long braid. He wrapped it around his knuckles and yanked. He used it as her leash and tugged unnecessarily all the way back to her cell. She often whimpered and almost sounded as if she was going to start crying. Reaching her cell he gave one more hard yank and shoved her to the floor of the cell.

"You endured everything I did today, but you can't stand the pulling of your own hair?" He stood in the doorway, observing her pink nose and watered eyes. After the entire day of being defiant and unbreakable, there she was. Broken.

"I don't expect you to understand. Besides, why would you care anyways? Shouldn't you be celebrating that you've broken me?" She didn't look up to him. She pulled her braid over her shoulder and ran her fingers over it again and again.

"It may be hard for you to believe right now, but you spike my interest. When I sway you to the Dark Side, I intend to know your ways. Study them. I'm eager for you to become my student."

"I'm sure you've heard this, but that will never happen. I will never open myself to you." As she looked up to his mask he recognized that her spirit had returned. The fire in her eyes had ignited once again. Without another word, he slid the door closed and made his way back to his quarters. Ecstatic to begin the next day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little tidbit about the hair pulling.
> 
> In many cultures around the world, Ojibwe being one of them, people care and protect their hair with their life. Hair being a source of pride, humility even social standings. People were often hunted for their hair, cutting it to show signs of dominance or empowering victory against them. So having it disrespected like that was a pretty big deal to her anyways.  
> Thanks for reading. (:


	10. Chapter 10

Kylo found it hard to sleep the first night. He could only wait for her to sleep so he could slip into her mind, but it would seem that she never slept. He laid there thinking about her and Rey's relationship. They were so close together Kylo might have mistaken their energies. He could see Rey in her and that angered him. He didn't want to see Rey in anyone else but Rey. If they had been great friends or professional with one another. He dreamed of the two together. Blissful and bright the two were. It was the most peaceful dream he had in years.

Mouse felt disgusting. Some slobber had dried on her chin and dried blood was cracking on her lips. Her body odour had filled the room and blood was all over her clothes. She hated being dirty so she only wished that she was even given a damp rag and a bowl of water to cleanse with. She was desperate for a cleaning. She stripped herself of her rank clothes and leaned against the wall like she did that morning. Just drifting in and out of sleep she could fell him constantly trying at the walls but for now they stood tall and mighty. She slept lightly with no dreams but that was fine by her. Getting any sleep is what mattered. If the next day was going to be the same, she needed as much sleep as she could possibly get. Before she knew it, the same stomping boots had halted abruptly in front of her cell. The door sliding open, the cool air creeped in. 

"Where are your clothes?" Kylo was extremely confused to find the girl with only a t-shirt and underwear on. He was so thankful his mask could hide that.

"They're disgustingly dirty. I'm not wearing them." She lifted her chin in the direction of her pile of clothes and looked back to him. "Some sort of cleansing would be nice, before we start our day." She pulled herself up and dragged herself to the door, stopping herself a few feet in front of him. "Pretty please?"

"You can cleanse under my supervision and your clothes will be thoroughly washed. Don't mistake this for a kindness. Your odour is too unpleasant for me to bear for an entire day." He turned on his heel. He would take her back to his quarters to use the refresher and a droid would collect her clothes for inspection amongst other things. Her feet patted against the floors, quick and small. She was right on his tail once again, no signs of trying to escape.

Mouse did her best to memorize where they were going. She recognized that they were two lefts' and one right away from where the interrogation room was. She made sure to pace herself just right so she wasn't in Kylo's peripheral vision but also fast enough so the Troopers behind her wouldn't step on her heels. The air was cool on her thighs causing the hairs to stick up and goose bumps to form. 

Kylo paused the trek to punch in a code left of the door. He pulled Mouse into the room and dismissed the Troopers behind her. Mouse looked around the new room. It was well kept and tidy. The entire atmosphere was black and dark which came as no surprise. She leisurely strolled while waiting for Kylo to give her some sort of command.

"Why are you not afraid of me? You seem so at ease with the situation you found yourself in." Kylo pulled off his cloak and hung it next to the door and moved in close to her.

"I never found the point in presenting fears on your face. I suppose I've found my way to cope with fears." She looked up to him again and tried not to mind the personal space he was invading.

"And what would that coping mechanism be?"

"Perhaps coping is the wrong term... I just keep reminding myself that I'm very small in this universe and no matter what I do in my life, I'll die. That helps remind me that fears are too pesky to deal with." She turned away from him and continued to analyze the room. She wondered if he bought it but she didn't look back to him. She was actually very afraid of what might happen to her. She was afraid of what might happen to her friends if her walls broke down. But it was true about her hiding her fears far away. She did believe her fears were pesky and for the most part she did ignore them. She wasn't lying, just classically stretching the truth. 

"The refresher is in here. Let's get this over with." Mouse's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. 

"What do you mean we? You're coming in there with me?" Breath came to her in spurts, she was beginning to panic.

"You're a fool if you think I'm going to let you go in there alone." He reached for his clasps, the air hissing, Mouse recognized his face as if it was the first time she saw him. The scar was still visible and his features still pale. His dark locks framing his long face perfectly. "After you," He whispered in the dead-quiet room. She didn't look at him again, and scurried to the door. Her mind was incomprehensible. She couldn't think, she definitely didn't want to speak. Her thoughts raced as did her heart. The door slid open and she slipped inside. She didn't believe there was going to be a way to talk him out of it. Her being his prisoner and all. She could only breathe and pretend he wasn't there. The refresher looked like a public shower room, open concept and multiple shower heads. 

His breath was loud in her mind. It had been ages since she was naked in front of anybody. She was so disappointed that she had to strip in front of someone she wouldn't even have sex with. Her need to shower was stronger than her uncomfortable-ness. She pulled her shirt over her head and unsnapped her brassiere and slipped her underwear to the ground. She crossed her arms over her breasts and placed a hand over her patch. She did try her best to pretend he wasn't there but he made it very hard for her. He either breathed or stepped loudly, the noise buzzed in her ears. She untied her braid and fumbled her fingers through it, unleashing the tight waves of incredibly long tresses. Unbraided her hair streaked down below her buttocks and thinned  at her thighs. The hair shimmered with fading highlights of a sun kissed brown with the dark flowing throughout the length. It was a lovely sight to gaze upon and Kylo couldn't help himself. He wanted to run his hand through the river of dark locks. He almost did but he managed to pull himself away.

She stepped into the hot stream of water and tamed the waves of hair but with her hair thin, Kylo saw what he had done to her. She hadn't ached or whined about it, but her dark skin was splattered with bruises and raw skin. He didn't feel bad but he did feel something when he thought of it as artwork. The bruises being paint on her skin and the raw skin was the graffiti. He felt the darkness of his mind spike when he thought of it like that. He was glorifying the abuse, Kylo could feel Ben protesting against it. With a kick out the door Ben was shoved away into the depths of his mind. Kylo didn't mind thinking of the girl like that. 

It didn't take long for Mouse to clean up. Mostly because she didn't have her own products. She couldn't condition her hair with the cheap soap offered. She just hoped her hair would tolerate being unconditioned. Her hair did have a mind of it's own. 

"I would like to know your name." Kylo held up a towel and kept his gaze away from her bare body. Mouse was grateful he was looking away, but it didn't change anything. She snatched the towel and wrapped herself, patting herself dry. 

"I believe I've told you my name before. Touching the Sky Woman." She stepped out of the shower room and back into the main room. "Where are the clothes I'm to wear?" She didn't want to tell him her common name or her nickname. It was her Ojibwe name, given to her months after she was born. 

"Is that your common name? Is that what your friends call you?" He tossed her some relief clothes that were probably too big for her but he didn't care about it. He wanted her dressed and out of his room.

"Sure. They call me that all the time. Except it's in my language. O Zaaminan Giizhigon" Mouse was going for a casual approach on the topic. It wasn't hard to talk about but she was praying he wouldn't pick up on her lie. He only gave her a hum and turned away while she dressed. The clothes consisted of a tank top, loose sweatpants, thick wool socks and underwear. She slipped them on quickly. It didn't look terrible but they were maybe two sizes too big. The shirt hugged her chest and flowed loosely everywhere else. The pants had an elastic waist and hung low and bunched at her ankles. Mouse slipped on the socks and tucked the sweatpants inside, preventing any tripping that could occur. 

"Are you done yet?" His tone was cold. He was becoming impatient.

"With your permission, I'd like to braid my hair. It takes a while." She stood behind him, awaiting the answer. Hoping he would respect it enough.

"Get on with it." He turned to her and sat on his bed while she sat cross-legged on the floor. She pulled out the knots in the hair, tackling the tangles took her the longest. She stitched the hair together in record time, almost wrestling with the hair, beads of sweat had formed on her brow. 

"Ready to begin our day of torture." She stood tall now. Expecting the pain her spirit was beginning to deplete. She was already beginning to lose her sense of vivdness. Kylo almost didn't want for it to go away.

"You would rather be tortured all day, every day, than give me the answers I need?" He walked towards her and circled her. 

"Of course. There's nothing I'd rather do. I looked forward to it all night." Mouse held her hands behind her back and stood tall. Being honest with herself, she admitted that she was exhausted out of her mind. It wasn't beginning to show yet but she could feel her energy leaking from her body. He was constantly striking outside of the walls. They held sturdy but without food, water, or proper sleep, she knew they were going to fall sooner rather than later. The most she could do was try her best to be alert and lead him away from the answers he wanted. It wasn't hard to stall but it was hard to keep up. 

"Why do feel the need to hide the truth from me?"

"Well, you terrorize the galaxy and your end game is to kill me and my friend. That sums up why you're not my best friend." Her tone was neutral, back to yesterday, sarcasm would ring highly in her voice. Kylo picked up immediately on her change of attitude. It was depleting and he was to blame. He smiled beneath his mask. He didn't notice it in the beginning of the day but now it was clear. The bags under her eyes were dark and low, her face was paler in color and her lips had lost their hue.

"It would seem that I will get them sooner than I had previously thought." He turned from her and made his way to the door. "I would hope you're smart enough to follow me."

"Okay, I'll let you induce pain on me but rudeness is intolerable. I'll get you for that." She did follow close behind him keeping her mood light. She picked up that he knew of her exhaustion and she wasn't sure how she was going keep herself walking. 

"I'm trembling in my boots." They both hid a smile from each other and began their march to the interrogation room. Mouse was already beginning to adjust to her new environments. As a young girl in the foster system, she always had to be prepared for change. This also wasn't her first abusive home-relationship. She had her share of those but there was never anything she could do about it. 

On their way to the room, Mouse took in her surrounding as if it was her next meal. She noticed the panels on the walls closer to the ground. She assumed it was wirings and fuses behind them. She didn't rule it out as an escape option quite yet. There were vent openings every 8 panels above them in the center amongst three. That also wasn't the most plausible option since she was so short. She kept her mind open to her options so far and tried to think of anything else. Sure enough, he offered for her to go first into the room. He admired her braid that had been pulled over her shoulder and reached to touch it. Her shoulder flinched away from him and she scurried into the room. She didn't trust him, he gave her good reasons not to. Secretly embarrassed he followed her in and strapped her in. 

"Day 2 of torture interrogation. Will Kylo Ren be able to break the prisoner's wall? Stay tuned." Her time-wasting had an early start and it wouldn't slow.

"Why are you so adamant on wasting my time?" His rounds began immediately as he stared at her from all angles. 

"Because I secretly enjoy being tortured." Her expression was blank and tone dull. Kylo didn't know if she was being serious or not so he chose not to believe her. He tightened her lower back and inflicted a stabbing sensation. She only gasped and held her breath. He twisted the stab, only then she cried out. It was small and high-pitched, short and loud. And before Kylo knew it, he had an impromptu erection. The sound echoed in his mind, making it damn near impossible for the erection to calm. He didn't want it, usually it was well-behaved but it picked the worst of times.  He adjusted it through his pants and tried his best to ignore it. 

Sweat was already beginning to drip down her face and her breath was already shallow. _She won't last the day._  Kylo faced her and leaned in close to her face. 

"I think that's close enough." She leaned against the contraption unable to pull away from him. He examined her closely, looking over every aspect. He didn't notice but her eye was almost fully healed.  It only looked like a lazy eye but it wasn't done healing yet. Besides her eye everything else did look terrible. 

"I hope you realize that I'm only counting down the hours of when you'll pass out of exhaustion. Then you will give me full access to every single thought in that head of yours." He didn't pull away so his whisper lingered on her skin. It was meant to instill fear. But it failed with Mouse.

"I'm trembling in my socks." She wasn't afraid now, she felt stronger. Standing this close to him and not being intimidated, electrified her nerves. She would prove him wrong and nothing in the universe would please her more.


	11. Chapter 11

Rey tried so hard not to blame herself for Mouse's capture. She constantly searched for a reason to feel bad about it. Finn and Poe had been caught up in their duties with the Resistance and couldn't give up their days to help Rey. 

Finn had been in training to be a co-pilot gunner for the last 3 years and was ready to begin his missions as one. Poe moved on to being a senior pilot, the most respected in the Resistance. The General was only getting older, she was preparing to retire. The anticipation of who her successor was going to be grew in the days. To Rey's surprise the Resistance was drastically not as involved with the war as she had assumed. But she was alone a lot, giving her time to over-think things a lot. The First Order could have been laying low and was causing no problems. But she didn't know. There was a lot she didn't know, she felt so in the dark about everything. She appreciated that Poe and Finn helped her out the night before but she didn't know what to expect for the next day. 

She needed to find General Organa and try to get her to help with how to figure out her mess. It was a low probability she could help but Rey had to try. She commed Poe hoping he would be able to take her. 

"Hello, Poe Dameron." The audio comm crackled and echoed in the empty room.

"Hi, it's Rey. Sorry to bother you, I was hoping you could take me to see the General." Her voice was quiet, with a hint of sadness in it. She felt so useless without Mouse.

  
_"Finn, stop it._ Yeah.  _Finn, please._ I'll be right there." Poe was being distracted by a snuggly Finn who only wanted kisses. 

"Okay, thanks. I'll see you soon." Rey pulled herself off of the bed and dressed herself accordingly. The sun was just beginning to shine, blasting the skies with it's powerful rays. That didn't matter to Rey, she had only been asleep for a few hours and laid awake the rest of the night. It had been a long time since she went a night without sleep. She tugged her tunic on, slipped into her boots, and messily tied her buns. 

The boys greeted her warmly, Rey did her best to keep herself positive and motivated. Their moods helped but Rey wouldn't find much relief until she talked to the General. She followed closely behind Poe careful not to lose him in the close crowds. Her made-up guilt was demolishing her spirit. The guilt wasn't hers to bear but she dragged it around everywhere anyway. 

"Here we are. You can just go right in there, but we gotta go." Poe stopped in beside the door to General Organa's office and turned to Rey.

"You guys aren't coming in with me? I need help in there." She exchanged looks with the both of them, but they only looked away.

"Rey, we can't give up our duties for this. I'm sorry." Poe kept looking away, he knew her face would be one hard to look away from. They did feel bad about it, but they had a relief run they were really looking forward to. 

"Guys, this is Mouse we're talking about here. She's gone, kidnapped, captured! Most likely being tortured wherever she may be!" Rey's throat was starting to burn and swell. Her words were croaking and her voice was cracking. "Don't you care?" She could feel her whole body become hot in an instant. Her cheeks were flaming and her chest bloomed with heat. Not with rage but with embarrassment. She must have looked like a child, assuming they'd give up their duties to help her. 

"Of course we care, Rey. But this is out of nowhere, you didn't contact us at all yesterday until you were already here. We had no heads-up, we've had no time to talk to our supervisors. Rey, we'd love to help, we'd love to drop everything. But we can't. Not right now." Finn grabbed Rey's hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "I'm sorry Rey, but this will have to be put on hold for us, but don't let that stop you from getting started without us." Rey pulled her hand away and shoved her way towards the office. 

"You can comm me when this becomes convenient for you." The words left a bitter after taste that lingered on her tongue as it rolled off her lips. She wanted to be bitter and stubborn about it so she knocked on the door and paid them no more attention. The boys understood her irritation but left anyway. Her spirit fell a little lower, her mood a little darker. But she couldn't worry about that, she had a job to do, and she would do it on her own if she had to. The door slid to the side, she took her welcome and stepped into the office.

The General's years had doubled since the last time Rey saw her. It didn't seem like 5 years had past. Her glasses hung low on her nose, her chin was tilted upwards, and she stared at holos of Resistance propos. Nothing in her position changed besides her eyes, which flashed to Rey then back to the holo. The fine lines on her face had deepened and multiplied. Her hair was very fine small wisps had fallen out of her hair style. There was more grey and white rather than brown. But none of that mattered, she 

"What can I do for you, Rey? Have you found my brother?" She terminated the holo and placed her glasses in the snapping case. "Unfortunately, no. We've searched many systems for him, but there has been not a single trace in our years. But that's not why I'm here." Rey took a seat in one of the creaky chairs in front of the desk. The General looked away and sucked in her trembling lip. It was hard for her. After they had found him the first time she couldn't even see him and when he did come in he was hurt. Then he was gone again without a good-bye. She missed him and she was only hoping he missed her. She tried not to dwell so she tuned back into the present moment.

"So what brings you here? Shouldn't you be still be out looking? I assure you we scoured the planet after you two left... Where is your partner?" The General scanned the room in case her vision was failing without her glasses. But she didn't see another body in the room.

"Actually, General, that's why I'm here. Yesterday, we were on the planet Ryloth in the Outer Rim, and she was out searching and she was captured by the First Order. They took her, I couldn't save her..." Rey looked down to her feet. The words stung on her tongue after admitting the hard truth without crying about it. But it was a step that had to be taken to move forward.  _Admit your faults_. Master Luke had once told her. When you admit it yourself, it is always easier to be forgiven for it. "I came here looking for some help on how to handle the situation and how to take action. I wasn't able to track their ships, so they could be anywhere in the galaxy."

"I understand. I think it's time we re-ignite the war." The General shuffled some papers around on her desk and stood up.

"What do you mean?" Rey was reminded of her confusion to the Resistance's involvement in the war.

"The Resistance's principles have changed since you were last around. We became a relief service under the supervision of the Republic, since they've had to rebuild once again our involvement has come far from the war. But I think it's finally become time to fight back against the First Order. To become the true Resistance once again. Who knows what they've been up to these past five years since we haven't been keeping an eye on them."  The General hobbled around to the front of her desk and leaned against it, facing Rey.

"So, we're going to get involved? What should we do?" Rey looked up to The General as if she were the guardian she'd always wanted.

"First, we're going to annoy them. To put it bluntly. Then they'll come out of hiding, and if we're lucky we'll get into a battle or two and take a couple of hostages and be able to ask some questions. It's small but it's a start." Her face was gentle and hopeful which was exactly what Rey needed to see. "Of course, plans will develop the farther we go along. To get started, I give you clearance to go abroad on one of our ships of your choosing to recon on First Order Sympathizers, get some information out of them. I'm going to need to borrow the Wookie, we have some ships that need his advisement." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned in towards Rey.

"Rey, I understand that you want to take action immediately, but please, take a little bit of time. If she's spent any time with you she's a brick. I can guarantee that." She pushed herself off of the desk and hustled behind it again. "Go get something to eat and tell my assistant when you're departing."

"Yes, ma'am." Rey stood up completely erect, and turned on her heel and left the room without another word. She was very pleased with the outcome of their meeting. She was glad that the General wanted to get involved again and that she wanted to help her get Mouse back. She was so grateful that she understood some of the pain that she was going through, the General knew the guilt well. Rey felt bad about treating the boys the way she did. It wasn't fair to them for her to be sour. She wanted to make it up to them, eventually she would but she was hungry. She tried her best to follow the vague signs of the hallways.

It took her a very long walk to find her way to the partially familiar cafeteria wing. People were casually sitting amongst the tables. It wasn't time for everyone to report to their duties yet, so anyone who was there was an early bird. She stood in line and shuffled to the side, taking her tray from the caf worker and sitting at a table by herself. She didn't know anyone, she didn't have time to make friends. She did try to take some time to think and reflect on her conversation with the General. She ate very slowly, not caring about what entered her mouth. Before she realized the cafeteria was filled with soldiers, pilots, and personnel. She didn't mind but time passed quickly. She finished her food swiftly and threw her tray in a dish bin. 

"Rey."

Her head whipped around to the nearest body.

"Did you say my name?" Rey's eyes were intense, it intimidated the young man.

"Sorry, Miss. I don't know you." He turned back around and went back to his business.

"Rey, focus." Rey's eyes whizzed around the room, looking for who was trying to speak to her. Realization sunk in and she sat on the floor and escaped, leaving her setting immediately. Her mindset was clear as well as her meditation landscape. No one was there but it was the only answer she could think of. But there, in the distance, Rey could see her. She was waving her arms in the air trying to signal Rey.

"Mouse!" Rey went to run to her.

"No, stop! Don't come any closer!" Mouse was just within earshot of Rey but Rey wanted to be near her and find out where she was. "If you come closer, I'll lose you. Your presence is too much for me to handle... It's weird but yeah." 

"How are you doing this? Where are you? Are you okay?" Rey stood tall and squinted trying to get a better image of Mouse. It didn't work very well but she wanted to see her so badly.

"I've been trying to preserve energy, I managed to save enough to reach out to you, thank the creator I did. Also, I don't know where I am, pretty sure it's a space craft, a big one, I've only ever seen my cell and the interrogation room." Rey knew exactly the position Mouse was in. Rey never knew of a cell but she knew the room. It was understandable and was most likely no different from the one Rey had occupied. "And, I mean, I'm all right I guess. For a prisoner. He's not giving me food or water, and I've been managing to keep him from my thoughts but it takes energy, I don't have a lot since I can't sleep very well. Day-to-day torture doesn't help either. His infatuation with you is a bit over-bearing as well." Rey's nose scrunched up, she could feel her breakfast creeping up her esophagus. "I can hold out but please help me as fast as you can."

"You can bet your ass that I'm on my way right now!" Mouse smiled brightly. Seeing Rey had really helped with her mental state. But Mouse was only getting weaker, it wouldn't be long until she broke.

"How about you just bet your own and hurry! I have to go. Gimikwenimin*." Mouse waved and sat on the ground.

"Gimikwenimin." Rey took the same action and returned to the cafeteria. People had started using her as a pylon, bodies split directions on either side of her. She stood up and shoved her way out of the room. She made her way back to the General's office. She stopped someone who was going in to meet with her. She grabbed the Mon Calamarian's shoulder.

"Please tell General Organa that Rey is leaving on her assigned mission, now." She gave the shoulder a pat and ran down the hall.

"We'll be reunited soon enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gimikwenimin - I'm thinking of you.
> 
>  
> 
> Shit guys, sorry. I had to take some time off. But here's a little baby chapter. (:


	12. Chapter 12

Mouse lay on the floor of her cell barely grasping consciousness. She never actually knew what would happen if she did happen to fall asleep but she didn't want to risk a single thought. She drifted for 20 minutes at a time throughout the entire night, then she would do a round of stretches and drift again. After a few days Kylo began to give her small portions of food for the day. A bun, a crust, on a lucky day a small platter of fruits and or vegetables. She always saved the food to snack on throughout the day, she would never eat everything she had at once, she thought she was being smart but she didn't know anymore. He would allow her to shower every few days, gave her food, but the torture never ended. Every single day it was the same questions, the same technique, it was a routine Kylo never tired of. She still managed to keep her walls high, they were sturdy and seemingly unbreakable. He admired them but he had work that needed to be done. 

Kylo leaned against the wall and stared at the girl. The fluorescent light did her no favors. Every day that passed there was something of hers that managed to look worse. Whether it was bloodshot eyes, hollowed cheeks, dark, dragging under eyes, or her crusted blood. He didn't think it would be possible the day before to look worse, but when the next day came around he was always proven wrong. He didn't enjoy the routine anymore. In the beginning, it was satisfying to hurt her for answers, now it seemed pointless and bothersome to keep trying. She wasn't budging a single inch towards him, his anger would consume him every night after he would throw her back in her cell. He knew what he needed to do to have a better chance at getting answers but they would jeopardize the plans he envisioned with her for the future. He would have to drug her to sleep and use tortures above his force-use skill level. He wasn't a great fan of the idea. However, something had to be done sooner rather than later. Making his decision he released her from the chair. She only looked to him in confusion. 

"I think it's time we try something new." Was all he said to any questions she may have had. He offered her a hand to step out of the contraption. She only stared at him and stepped down on her own.

"Why? I was getting so used to our routine." There was no hint of sarcasm or banter in her voice. It was long gone, Mouse had missed it herself. 

"I'm clearly not getting through to you, I've grown so sick of this charade. I intend on going ahead with some other plans I have had set specifically for you." He looked down to her. It was someone different in front of him. Not the girl he had captured. 

"Aren't I a lucky girl." She scoffed, crossing her arms, she wasn't buying it. There was no way she would believe it was anything good. 

"You're going to be my shadow from now on. Whether you appreciate it or not." He hesitantly met his thumb with her jawline, caressing the structure. He brought his thumb to her chin and lifted it, giving her no choice but to look up to the mask. "Perhaps we'll grow from there." The same disgusted look remained on her face. He didn't mind for now, he wasn't expecting anything else. "Come along, now. We'll get you a proper meal." He made his way to the door in his usual fast pace. 

"You're being serious about this?" She did follow him but remained cautious in case he was pulling her leg. 

"Am I ever anything but serious?" His march didn't slow for her, he figured she had to keep up or be thrown back in her cell. She was trying, she was also hoping he would slow down just a little. She was too exhausted to memorize the turns they took which she mentally kicked herself for. She didn't think she was going to make it to wherever they were going but somehow she did. The cafeteria was their destination. It was small and simple just like any other. She had never seen anything other than the three rooms. But now she saw multiple people, people who kept staring at her. She could hear the whispers as some had passed them by. Some called her an urchin, scum or just ugly. She didn't care but it was interesting to witness the identical mindset of those around her. 

Kylo made his way to the bar, Mouse following behind the best she could. He ordered her the lunch platter. The worker acted swiftly presenting him with the lunch platter of the day. He shoved it her way.

"Eat." Mouse took the food and picked a table closest to the entrance. There wasn't much to the room. Dark color scheme, fluorescent lights, troops and workers everywhere. The ceiling wasn't high but it wasn't made of the same tiles as in the hallways. It would be hard for Mouse to get through and into the shafts. She didn't think too hard about it, she focused on getting all the food in her system and keeping it in there.

Her meal was plain. A slop of grainy paste, a fruit she didn't recognize and a sandwich with some kind of cooked meat. She ate slowly, taking her time, being cautious of a possible upchuck.

"Why are you really doing this? This isn't normal Sith Lord behavior." She glanced up to him from underneath her eyelashes. He was scanning the room when she spoke but he looked to her immediately.

"And how would you know what 'normal' behaviour is around here?" His tone made it easy to interpret what his face might look like. 

"I guess you have a point but what the galaxy understands as normal behaviour for you is being merciless, murdering the innocent and just being oppressive." She whisked the paste hoping it would become more appetizing when doing so.

"That isn't wrong but there's a reason for everything. As you should recall, I came to your planet looking for you just as Rey did, hoping to bring you back to my master just as she did. As much as the Jedi needs to rebuild so does the Sith." He enjoyed watching her try to eat the paste, he didn't care for it, no one did. But it was amusing to watch her try to enjoy it. "Everything needs balance. I'm sure someone has given you that speech already. There can't be light without the dark."

"So you want me to be your student? Or stand by your side while you destroy the galaxy? I hope you understand why I'm not jumping at the opportunity." She tore into the fruits' skin trying to suppress her anger. 

"I don't expect you to understand yet but you should know, the Dark Side is very seductive. It's tactics of temptation are impossible to deny." He was stone in that moment. Anyone could have mistaken him for a statue. It didn't even sound like he was breathing. She could only finish her food in silence. When she finished her food he spoke softly.

"My master is dying. It's become my job to ensure the Sith's survival, I don't expect you to understand now, but if you allowed me to show you the ways... I can guarantee you'll like what you find." Mouse didn't know how to respond so she sat in silence. Then, an unfamiliar voice startled both of them. 

"Ren, Master Snoke requests your presence. I would suggest attending after all these weeks of ignoring his requests." A refined man stood tall beside the table. Both Mouse and Ren looked up to the figure in annoyance. The man was unimpressed with the appearance of Mouse and disregarded her immediately. "Dispose of your urchin scum and make your way to the chamber." Mouse boiled beneath her skin and to her demise, it showed. She never cared for insults, even ones that were direct to her face. It was strange of her to even react to the comment. Kylo lifted his hand to her direction motioning for her to restrain herself. 

"Understood, General. However, I believe there's an apology in order." Kylo subtly froze Hux in place with no intention of releasing him. 

"Yes, yours. To our Leader. He won't be pleased with you in the slightest..." A disbelief had set in. "You mean for me to apologize to this?" He motioned to Mouse. 

"No, to me. You're interrupting me once again in a conversation that I hold higher than yours." A lush pink had blossomed onto Hux's face as his breath became shaky and uneven.

"I have better things to do than apologize to you." His cheeks didn't change a shade.

"Those may be your own personal beliefs." Kylo let him go and Hux immediately turned away. Mouse swore his face only turned darker as he stalked away.

"While I meet with my master you will freshen yourself and wait for me in my chambers. Understood?" He looked back to her. She nodded to the mask and disposed of her tray and followed his lead once again. She found it easier to keep up with him after the meal, the paste somehow gave her more energy. He shoved her into the room just hard enough to ensure they weren't friends just yet.

"The shower is yours to use and the droid will retrieve clothes for you. I'll be gone for a while." He closed the door and locked it from the outside panel. The last thing he needed was a Padawan on the loose. He stomped away making haste to his masters' holographic chamber.

 

"Master Snoke, I apologize for my absences. What do you wish of my presence?" Kylo knelled before the holo and stared at the ground. Kylo knew nothing good was going to come out of it but he wouldn't dare cut another request. 

"Ah, Kylo Ren, how pleasant of you to finally join us. It would almost seem as if you have forgotten your place here." A strange sensation hummed in Kylo's spine. "With much of your absence I've had to consult with one of the other Knights of Ren."

"Sir-"

"Did you really believe you could simply ignore me and not have any consequences?" Kylo went to look up but when he did it wasn't Snoke before him, it was Trilk, another Knight of Ren. The last time Kylo had seen Trilk he was just a beginner in the ways of the Force but that was a few years ago. Kylo's sneer grew underneath his mask. Trilk had quite the bond with the Force. "Trilk has been an excellent student on Moraband, his bond is strong. Although no one will match you, Kylo Ren, Trilk will do for now." Kylo's spine twisted and cramped. It didn't inflict the amount of pain where Kylo would actually be hurt. Kylo knew only his master could inflict that upon him. 

"Trilk is here for the sole reason of giving you a punishment without having to come and see me. In your favor, I'm not that angry. 10 lashes, weapon of your choosing, Kylo." Only then did Kylo stand. There was no way out of it and it was only 10 lashes. However he knew it wasn't really his choosing. Snoke would make him pick the most brutal weapon regardless of what Kylo's choices were. He grudgingly made his way to the assortment of weapons.

"Master, why not order me to Moraband rather than this pathetic form of punishment?" Kylo assessed the weapons, there wasn't much of a selection.

"General Hux has informed me that you have the newest Padawan in your custody, I don't want to meet her just quite yet, so until I give order, you must remain afloat." Kylo selected a flogger with twisted barbs of wire amongst the tails. He could imagine the pain already. With deep anger he shoved the flogger into Trilk's hand. 

"A modest choice, Kylo Ren. You impress me. Get on with it." Snoke gave a wave of approval, Kylo removed his cloak, jacket, and mask. He hated the idea of having Trilk lash him on his bare skin. Kylo looked up to Snoke who gave a nod. No words were needed. Kylo removed his shirt and fell down to his knees in shame. 

Trilk didn't hesitate to strike him hard, but Kylo didn't mind that. It was how he dragged and tugged the barbs out his flesh that hurt him. The barbs pulled across his back had entered deeply making it only more difficult to pull out for the next lash. Kylo could deal with it. He had experienced worse but every time the tails tugged on him he didn't believe it. It was over quicker than he would have anticipated. He could still stand so it couldn't have been that bad.

"Tell me about the girl. Have you managed to get any information out of her?" Snoke could have cared less about what he just witnessed, but it never bothered Kylo. The Sith have to be resilient in that way.

"She resists me, my lord. She is greatly strong with the Force. She has set up walls and has completely shut me out of her thoughts. To break them down would be to kill her." Kylo slowly put his clothes back on. His back retracted to the touch of his clothing. The bare flesh needed care before he would dress but in the presence of his master, he didn't care.

"So, kill her. I fail to see how you think I care about the girl." 

"Master, I'm preparing for the future, I wish for her to be my Padawan in the future." Kylo fitted his mask on and stood as tall as he could next to Trilk. "She is strong, and signs of the Dark Side's temptation are already playing over her. I can sense it."

"If you feel so strongly about her than have your way with her. I expect her bond with the Dark Side strong by the time I meet her. Trilk, make your way back to Moraband immediately." With a shoo of his hand, he dismissed Trilk. "Kylo, I want reports on your progress with the girl at the end of every week." 

"Understood, Master." The holo faded out, Kylo left the chamber. Hux had been waiting with a tablet in his hand.

"Ren, there is a matter that needs our attention." Walking next to Kylo, he urged him to the Communications Tower. 

"What is it, General?" Kylo's wounds had begun to sting, but he wouldn't let the General have any signs of that. 

"One of our many outposts on Corellia was attacked and underwent some minor explosions. The attacker is yet to be identified, but that isn't the only disturbance. Our outpost on Ilum, the one that you had ordered for, was completely destroyed. We have reason to believe that both attacks were orchestrated by the same culprit." Hux waited for a response but didn't receive on for what seemed like a long time.

"Could it be the Resistance?" Kylo's booming voice would have startled anyone else. Hux was used to it.

"The possibility is in the air. What actions should we take?" Kylo had to think carefully. If it was the Resistance they were dealing with, the war had the possibility of being reignited. Lucky for the Order, they hadn't stopped manufacturing Storm Troopers, making their army much greater than 5 years ago. 

"Send teams out to each outpost that has been hit, and enforce extra precaution amongst our troops throughout the systems. Until we identify the culprit, that is the action we take. We can't devise a counter attack to an unknown enemy." Kylo spun swiftly and made his way back to his quarters. He could feel his open wounds beginning to fester. He needed to cleanse them immediately.

He opened the door and rushed to the shower. His abrupt entry startled Mouse awake. She only rubbed her eyes and leaned against the wall next to where she was sleeping. He stripped as he walked but she didn't look. When he went into the shower she did notice the blood trickle trail. She didn't think much of it, him being the student of a Sith Lord and all. _It's probably very normal for him._  She rested her eyes until he came back out. 

She definitely wasn't expecting for him to come out with just a towel around his waist, but sure enough, he did. He rushed around the room looking for something. Mouse didn't know what or care until she saw his back. It didn't look so bad from afar, but she wanted to get a closer look. She didn't do anything, she only waited. Finally, Kylo found the medical kit he was looking for and tore it open, ripping through it's contents he found the rubbing alcohol. He went to pour it down the nape of his neck hoping to get an even distribution. It didn't work very well but he went to do it again anyways. He would have went forward but she spoke.

"Need some help with that?" He looked to the small girl in the corner of his room. She wore a face not of a seductress, nor someone that cared about him. She wore a face that blatantly said 'Stop wasting the damn alcohol'.


	13. Chapter 13

Kylo was impressed by the girl's careful fingers. They acted quickly and efficiently. He didn't even feel her fingertips meet his skin. He could have mistaken her for a droid dressing his wounds with such grace. It felt like a small amount of time before she dressed the wounds appropriately, she had skill but he would never admit it. 

"How did you become so familiar in this field?" Kylo sat backwards on a chair, hugging the back of it. He felt the silence had lasted long enough. If the possibility of her being his student was in the air they needed to reach speaking terms. 

"Rey and I, we hurt ourselves a lot. Chewie taught me a very good chunk of what I know. He taught us because he knew we weren't always going to be around and bugging him. That Wookie is a treasure." Mouse noticed Kylo tense and tremble but she didn't pay any mind. He was a very angsty character and for now, she was used to it. 

The wounds ran quite deep beneath the surface which made it hard to tell if the wound was completely clean. Although it felt like a short while, Mouse had run the procedure of giving him 7 stitches in the deepest cuts. She never did touch him which was indeed impressive for an unofficial medic. She wiped the remnants of blood off his skin. She finished, cleaning her station she dismissed him. 

"Now go get dressed. Your skin is blinding me." She tossed the cheap tools aside and squeezed the bloody cloths out into a tin. She tucked everything carefully back into the medical kit and shoved it back into the cupboard where Kylo found it. 

"I don't think it's appropriate for you to speak to me like that." Kylo came back into the room with casual clothing on. A loose tee and sweatpants. "A student and teacher relationship should be professional." He sat on his bed, his back stiff and uncomfortable. 

"Well, since I haven't officially agreed to your offer, you'll have to sew my mouth shut until then." She took her place back on the floor, against the wall.

"Careful, I might just do that." Kylo strategically flopped onto the bed, careful to keep his wounds free of pressure. He lay on his stomach, his head turned to her. "I think we'll spend the rest of the day here. Get comfortable." He let out a sigh of relief. He was secretly content with having an actual being in the room with him. Sometimes he felt his grandfather's spirit with him but that wasn't often, also difficult to hold a conversation with. The only other interactions he would have was giving orders and getting into fights with Hux. Those weren't real relationships. He could see him and the girl becoming friends in the future. It wouldn't be frowned upon because he would become the Sith Lord. He wouldn't have to answer to anyone but himself. He wanted to do it with Rey by his side but that would prove to be more difficult. It was easier to keep that idea as a fantasy and to keep the girl as a reality. 

"Please tell me your name." The words stumbled from Kylo's squished mouth. He didn't care, he was hoping she'd find it amusing. She turned her head in his direction. 

"I suppose it might be time to tell you. Since you're clearly not calling me by my other name." She fumbled her fingers, avoided eye contact. "My name that was given to me by my parents is Lyssandra." She still didn't look to him.

"You don't use that name anymore, do you?"

"I haven't for a long time. My friends, they have a nickname for me. That's what I've been going by for the last five years. It came along with leaving my planet." The subject brought up old memories, ones that may not have wanted to be visited. It was too late, the memories of Earth leaked into her mind, she was temporarily unresponsive as she revisited her home planet.

"Since we're not friends, it's what I'll call you. We should go over some ground rules if you agree to be my shadow." He adjusted his position so his mouth was no longer squished. She was looking up to him, unappreciative of the idea of rules. But she knew she had to cooperate. "First, there will be nothing in this room that you will touch without my permission. Demonstrate you understanding." 

"I won't touch anything without verbal permission unless it's my own belonging." She would have slipped in a remark or sly comment but he was being very serious. She didn't want to get him annoyed. She thought if rules were being brought up, that meant privileges were just around the corner.

"Very good. Second, You will not harm any being on this cruiser for any reason, not even self-defense." He stared right into her eyes. He was being serious and wasn't surprised by her reaction. "I understand you are very capable woman but I can't have you disrupting the peace on this ship. I can promise you that when seen by my side as a respectable associate, no one would dare harm you anyways." He was being completely serious and Mouse couldn't believe him. It took her a moment to speak, she had to fully process the information twenty times before her vocal chords would work properly without becoming angry. "Demonstrate your understanding."

"If anyone aboard this ship were to ever harm me, I cannot fight back. I would report to you immediately and you would go kick their ass for me." The words singed her tongue. The thought of someone else fighting her battles for her pained her morals. It defied her entire code. However, she knew better. If she wanted to keep out of the cell she had to listen.

"Precisely. Third, there will not be an order of mine that you will not follow. Every order I give you will have reason. Believe that. I won't go about making you some idiot slave. If our respect is mutual, we will never have a problem. Do you understand?" The silence in the room was louder than her thoughts. She didn't want to agree but if she didn't she was no closer to springing free.

"I understand completely." She wasn't lying when she said that. Anyone could have understood. The test was to see how long her rule abiding would last. There would be something that would come along and mess up their agreement. Failure was inevitable in that arrangement. But she wanted to try for the sake of future infiltration. If Rey found a way to rescue her, Mouse would be able to give up so many secrets of the First Order. Mouse couldn't wait.

Mouse couldn't wait to be rescued. She didn't want to be waiting around for a hero but the litter of choices was pathetic. If she did anything other than obey, she would be back in that cell waiting even more pathetically. She knew what she had to do but like any other hard choice, she hated it. She missed her life with Rey. That life was so simple and calming. Although they were searching the universe for their master, the journey was memorable. The hope of finding Gikino'amaage Luke had been blown away in the winds a very long time ago. They knew he could handle himself very well but the girls still needed a teacher. Sure, Rey and Mouse could get by with teaching themselves but it wasn't the traditional learning relationship. They felt that they needed that. She missed Rey so much. Her bright hazel eyes brought so much happiness wherever they set sight. Her optimism was the biggest pain in the ass but you had no choice but to admire it. As hard as Mouse would try, she would never be able to get past Rey's insanely sharp reflexes. There was never a day Mouse could remember that she didn't see that wide, shining smile. She hoped it wouldn't be too much longer that they were apart. 

"What does that marking on your arm mean?" Kylo had relaxed back against the pillow, squishing his mouth. He stared expectantly at her, switching his gaze to her tattoo and back to her eyes.

"Oh, it doesn't have a meaning. It's just a picture of a flower from my home planet." He gave a small 'hmph' and turned his head to the wall. Seconds later his breathing proved he was asleep. She didn't want to do anything else, while she knew he was asleep, she slept as well. She didn't mean to but completely unaware, she fell into the deepest sleep she had had in weeks. 

A couple of nudges was enough to pull her out of it. She jolted awake and pulled herself up.

"You'll be pleased to know that your walls remain while you're asleep." Kylo stood before her in his uniform. "I had a droid find some more respectable clothing for you to wear when you're by my side. Rather than the casual wear. Put them on." Mouse rubbed her eyes, waking herself up as fast as she could.

She stood up and stripped herself of the casual wear. She didn't care for the eyes that may have been placed on her skin. She just pulled on the new wear. Long sleeved, black, fitting shirt, leather, brown gloves, tan, slim, pants, and mid-calf brown boots. It wasn't meant to be comfortable, she hated uniforms for that reason. She knew she looked silly. She never cared for her appearance. She would wear whatever was comfortable and didn't give a damn if anyone said otherwise. Things were different and the ever growing hate for the First Order burned within. 

She followed him out of the room at the usual fast pace. She was so grateful that she could actually keep up with him. She wasn't out of breath or struggling to follow. She could also focus on the directions they were taking. He asked if she was hungry, indicating that he was.

"Yes, I do have a lot of food to catch up on." They entered the cafeteria that was buzzing with movement. She figured it was dinner time with all the business. She followed Kylo into the line. 

"Sir," Both of their heads turned to the voice. "I apologize for disturbing you, but General Hux requests your audience in the Communications Tower. Without your shadow." The short weasel of a man dripped with sweat. The level of nervousness amused Mouse. She didn't care that she was being excluded, she figured it was some boring meeting that had nothing to do with her. 

"I'll be along shortly." Kylo grabbed his tray serving and shoved it her way. 

"Make your way back to my quarters and wait until I come back." He went to turn away.

"Are you going to come back hurt and needing my help again?" There was a familiar ring in her voice. He smirked behind his mask. 

"Not this time. Don't eat my food." He stalked away from her, ultimately ditching her. Yet, trusting her to go back to the room on her own. She was surprised with him. She decided to do as she was told. Of course she remembered the way. Her memory was always an impressive one. She had made the final corner to the room when the trays were smacked down to the ground, out of her grasp. She went to protest in the direction of the hitter but was met with a fist to her face. It didn't knock her unconscious but it made her woozy for a moment. Woozy enough to allow herself to hit the ground and be dragged along the floor. She shook her head and blinked hard, trying her best to pull herself together. When her mind wasn't so fuzzy she looked up to the classic white uniform of a storm trooper. She fussed and resisted against it but he was strong against her will. She began to panic, her breath shallow, breaking sweat, she almost started to cry. 

The trooper threw her into a cell and shut the door. She evened her breath out and pulled herself together. She didn't know why she was there or how pissed Kylo would be if she wasn't where she was supposed to be. She wasn't scared but she was angry because she actually listened to him. She didn't attack that trooper and she hated herself for it. She could have easily gotten out of his grip but subconsciously she made the decision to listen. She sat in the cell in silence waiting for something to happen.

 

"General Hux, what is this about that you've requested my shadow to be dismissed for?" Kylo's tone could cut through a man. "She is to be my shadow which means to follow everywhere I go." He stood before Hux, tall and intimidating as usual.

"Apologies Ren, but until she is officially named as your student and First Order associate, there are some subjects that must be kept classified from her. She was affiliated with the Resistance, should you recall. I cannot take the chance of her betraying the confidentiality of this matter." Hux pulled away from his conversation immediately to meet Kylo. He was always his first audience before Snoke. 

"Understood. Get on with the matter." Kylo relaxed himself after being acknowledged.

"Of course. The disturbances amongst the systems has been brought to an end. We've captured the culprit. It was a lone freedom fighter, if you will. I have my troops transporting the being now." Hux pulled up holo's of the planet the disturber was captured and images of the damage done. 

"I must say, I'm impressed with the speed of your work. Alert me at once when the being arrives, I should be the one to interrogate." Kylo was about to turn away when Hux's hand was placed on his arm. 

"Not so fast, Ren. Supreme Leader has asked me personally to handle the being. He felt as if your interrogation methods need further training. Until the time comes, in the matters of interrogations, I am in charge." Kylo could feel his muscles twitch all over his body. His fists clenched into rocks. The level of insult was higher than anything. But of course, he couldn't protest. That would be going against his Master's word. He wouldn't dare do that ever again. 

"When did you meet with our Leader?" The words drenched in bitterness. There was no way Kylo could hide his anger. But Hux didn't care for that. Not anymore.

"I met with him as soon as the news was brought to me. You are the second to know." The insults just kept going Kylo's way. 

"Why wasn't my presence requested at this time?" 

"I went to him first and suggested your audience be made as well, however, he didn't want to disturb your game of 'Padawan Learner.'" That was all Kylo needed to hear. He spun with a heartbeat and left the tower. He immediately requested an audience with his leader and made haste to the holo chamber.

 

Mouse became reacquainted with the Force with her time in the cell. She did her best to reach out for the light of it. There was almost too much dark surrounding her. For some reason that Mouse didn't know of, the light was becoming stronger. She could feel herself become stronger. She stretched and moved with the Force. It guided her movements in the session. It moved gently through her like a river streaming thick hair. It didn't pull her not even tug. But she allowed it to influence her movements. She did her best to not be restricted by her clothing. It proved to be difficult in the attire. 

Startled, she stood at attention facing the door of the cell. It was ripped open from the other side. A board on wheels was pushed into the room by a trooper. Followed by the man Kylo called Hux. She didn't know why he would be interested in seeing her. But she stood tall in the cell waiting for something, anything. 

"Who are you, girl?" She didn't answer. He gave a simple nod of his head and the trooper approached her with his hands out. She stepped away from him towards one of the walls but he continued to stomp towards her at full speed. She was against the wall, cowering before the trooper. He reached for her hips and attempted to pull the shirt over her head. She did her best to refuse without hitting him. She hated herself for listening to Kylo. She yelped and screamed for him to stop. But she was only met with another fist to the eye socket. 

"Don't give her too much visible markings, we do need to return her to Ren by the end of this." The snobby voice barked from behind the trooper. Woozy once again her shirt came off. Seconds later, her brazziere. She was too frazzled to process the assault. 

"Press her against the wall, her back towards us." The grabby hands lifted her off her feet and shoved her head into the wall. The cell wall was freezing against her nipples. Her breasts were pressured against the wall so hard it began to hurt. 

"You'll soon realize that Ren had gone easy on you, my dear. It won't be easy to heal from what I'm about to do." She thought back to Kylo's interrogations. She didn't know what he was going to do but now she was being fed and now she could sleep.

Hux chose a thick, stiff, strip of leather and struck her healing back, ferociously hard. A deep gasp and uneven breaths followed. 

"Who are you?" Hux repeated his question, he didn't care if he got an answer or not. He would hit her as much as he liked. Silence, then another crack. "You can silence yourself as long as you want but I need answers."

"Funny, Kylo Ren had said something along the lines, yet I never broke." He hit her again. And again, and again. She never spoke. She never would, she didn't see how it was much different from Kylo's. She would still need time to heal from it and he would still never get answers. He changed weapons every so often. Ones that pierced her skin shocked her the most. However, her resilience never faulted. She would never give in. Not to Kylo or Hux or anyone for any reason. 

"Well, today is just day one, we'll get somewhere soon enough. Ren should be reporting to his quarters any moment now. Hurry on back there, like a good little girl." Hux hung up the last weapon. "Her garments." The trooper threw her clothes at her as her legs gave out. She sat on the floor scrambling to get her clothes back on. She was just about to leave the cell when Hux tripped her, she only stumbled.

"And before you think about telling Kylo Ren about this session, you should know. I hold someone very dear to you in captivity." Hux pulled up a holo of Rey bound up and against a wall. The chains lifted her off the ground, Rey resisted and pulled on them. Mouse's world shattered. She began to panic again. She stammered, staring at him with pure anxiety in her eyes. 

"If you decide to tell Kylo Ren about us, I will kill her. Also, with each passing day that you do not give me any information, I will do worse unto her until one of you breaks. Now, run along." Hux dismissed her without another word or torture.

Mouse held back tears as she made her way back to Kylo's room. She needed to wash her blood away before Kylo came back. Her lip trembled when she arrived at the door of the room. She didn't know if he was behind it or not. She marched in and darted for the shower. She closed the doors behind her and undressed immediately. She turned the water as hot as her body would tolerate, steaming the chamber. She didn't want to cry anymore, she wanted to be strong for Rey because she knew that's what Rey would do for her. She wouldn't give in. Now they both wouldn't. Mouse would find a way to free her and they would escape together. Maybe join the Resistance and fight against the First Order.  She didn't want to get too ahead of herself so she unraveled her braid and rinsed her hair and body. 

The water stung against her skin, but it numbed her injuries. She did her best to massage them with the water. She felt at such a disadvantage since she couldn't even assess them herself. She would need help and supplies to treat and heal them at the earliest possible time. Some cuts stung more than the others when she massaged. She let them be hoping they'd scab over quickly if she couldn't get supplies. She just hoped she wouldn't bleed through her shirt. There was no way Kylo could find out about it. She couldn't risk Rey's life in that way. She was determined to keep it a secret. Mouse washed her hair, turned off the stream, and stepped out to grab her casual wear. She wore a small towel around her chest and tip toed out into the room. She noticed her clothes had been taken from where she had left them. Just as she noticed Kylo had opened the door.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." She covered herself as well as she could with the towel and stood against the nearest wall. He looked to her only for a moment and turned his attention away. 

"Perhaps it would be best if we wore clothes at all times." Was all he said to her as he shielded his eyes with his hand.

"I would if my clothes hadn't been taken from where I left them. And had more than two outfits available." There was a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"What happened to the attire I gave you?" He turned to his drawers of clothing he had. He looked through and picked out more casual wear for her and tossed it her way.

"Never mind that for now. I'll tell you in a moment." She snatched up the clothes and scurried back into the shower room. She immediately thought of a cover story for the missing food and why she took a shower and why her clothes were dirty. She was very good at thinking under pressure. She pulled on the clothes and combed through her hair with her fingers. She walked back into the room and sat in her little nook against the wall. 

Kylo had taken off his mask and cloak, in the process of taking off his boots. He looked up to her as she battled with her tangles.

"Care to share your endeavors?" He went back to his boots and waited for her story.

"Right. So I was walking back here, I knew the way, thank the creator, and these two Storm Troopers knocked my food up and into my face. All over my clothes as well. I wanted to hurt them so bad..." She thought back to the trooper who did knock the food out of her hands. "But I didn't!" She chimed. "They also started to haze me a little bit. They gave me a few punches and kicks. So I lost both of our meals to those dicks." She made her story as convincing as she could possibly make it. Hoping and praying the lies wouldn't leak through her words. 

"Did you get their identification codes?" He was suppressing his anger but it wouldn't be long before he unleashed it on whoever hurt her.

"Do you think they're dumb? Of course they didn't give me their numbers. They beat me up and were on their merry ways." She began her long braid, stitching her long tresses together. It was magic how she was able to do that with such grace and such little effort.

"I do think they're dumb. I'll find them. They'll pay." He continued to undress his uniform and change. He did mean it. He said he would go fight her battles for her, no matter how much she hated the idea. He didn't have to hear her say it. He knew she would hate it but it would be so much easier than hearing complaints about her.

"Kylo, it doesn't really matter. I mean, what did you expect? They're gonna bug me when you're not around. It's kinda obvious." His head whipped around to her. He never heard her say his name. He wasn't even sure if he had ever told her it. But she had spent a lot of time with Rey, she probably spoke of him. It was different for him to hear her say it. He wasn't expecting it. Slowly, he turned back to what he was doing. 

"That shouldn't matter. I need to prove to them that you are under my protection. I'll go through surveillance tomorrow. I'll find out who it is. I don't need your permission." He finished dressing and made way to his bed. He looked to her again, preparing to sleep on the floor. 

"Don't take this the wrong way but... There's room on here for two." He regretted the words as soon as they had left his mouth. He closed his eyes and scrunched his nose. She only laughed out loud and looked up to him.

"Are you inviting me into your bed?" Her laugh was cute and airy. It was a pleasant one that he wouldn't mind hearing again. "I appreciate it but the floor is so comfy." She only smiled now. Embarrassed and cheeks flushed he sat on his bed and almost smiled back. 

"I think you've spent enough time on the floor. Come on. Until I can get you a bed in here." He could feel the embarrassment lift and his natural order-giving ways return. Reluctantly, she listened and hustled over to his bed. She sat next to him awkwardly waiting for him to say something. 

"You can sleep against the wall." They didn't look at each other again. She climbed around him and faced the wall and gave herself minimal covers. She thought it was a stiff bed and those were her favorite kind. She fell asleep almost instantly into another deep sleep. 

I think you've spent enough time on the floor. Come on. Until I can get you a bed in here." He could feel the embarrassment lift and his natural order-giving ways return. Reluctantly, she listened and hustled over to his bed. She sat next to him awkwardly waiting for him to say something. 

"You can sleep against the wall." They didn't look at each other again. She climbed around him and faced the wall and gave herself minimal covers. She thought it was a stiff bed and those were her favorite kind. She fell asleep almost instantly into another deep sleep. 

Kylo stayed awake, thinking about her and Rey. He needed to know more about them. She let it slip that they were looking for Luke across the galaxy, so that meant they were alone together. Had Rey become Lyssandra's teacher? Did they seek out archives of some sort that he hadn't known about? Did Luke leave something behind for them? He needed to destroy wherever they were getting their lessons from and he needed to do it quickly. He turned his head to her.

She still faced the wall, the covers slowly sliding down to her legs. Her breathing was steady, also heavy. She was very comfortable. She reached up and scratched her neck in her sleep. He had to admit that she was an adorable little nuisance. If they weren't in this life, he would have appreciated her as a close friend. She was witty, and funny. She managed to find humor in bad situations which was still to determine as good or bad. He thought about her and Rey again but different than before. He tried to imagine what kind of friends they were like. How they were when they were together. Perhaps they had been closer than friends at times. He imagined a scenario.

The girls sitting together having a picnic on a forest planet, alone in the middle of nowhere. Giggling and chatting together. They glowed in their sun dresses basking in the suns tickling rays. The suns spotted their skins through the tree branches. The winds gently breezed through their hair. Both girls had worn their hair down. Rey's hair looked so lovely even at the shorter length. The ends of her hair tickled her shoulder blades, the waves flowing in the wind. Lyssandra's locks lay beside her with the rebellious tresses running away in the wind. Her loose waves streamed down against her back and lay against their blanket on the ground. Both sharing their bright smiles with each other and only each other. So peaceful, so innocent. They laid down next to each other continuously smiling and laughing. They met each others eyes. Lyssandra's big, dark eyes met Rey's curious, light eyes. It was a match made in heaven. Rey propped herself up on one elbow, looking down on Lyssandra. With reassuring nods and smiles, Rey's hand met with her thigh and slowly caressed upwards. Under the dress Rey met her hand with Lyssandra's fruitful- 

Kylo pulled out of his fantasy in an instant. Startled, he looked to Lyssandra who changed her position next to him. His breath shook, he wiped his forehead clean of sweat. His blood pumped vigorously, even more so in his fully erect cock. He hated fantasizing more than anything. He didn't like the idea of false realities, it created false hope. His erection proved to have a mind of its own, once again. 

He cleared his mind, hoping the erection would pass, until he heard her. She let out a small moan of comfort, snuggling into his pillow, inhaling his scent. He swallowed his thick, hot saliva, and slowly reached into his sweats. 

She was facing him now, the image of her face to inspire him. He adjusted his position to comfortably look at her and be able to reach his member. He covered his groin with the covers, then sprung the erection free of underwear and pants. He gazed back into his fantasy, Rey gently rubbing into Lyssandra's private garden through her underwear. Those images were enough to get Kylo gripping his shaft and pumping fast. Lyssandra gasped at Rey's intimate touch, breathed heavily. He looked to her, his mind played the image on her face. He held back a moan. The fantasy skipped in time to Rey in between Lyssandra's legs kissing the moist, tender lips. Lyssandra's breathing was calm and steady, same as beside him. He looked to her calm face again and basked in the innocence. He slowed his strokes and focused on her breathing next to him. Closing his eyes again he watched his fantasy again. Rey was working her tongue intensely on Lyssandra, Rey's finger stroked her vestibule down to her opening. Teasing Lyssandra, Rey kissed and gently sucked on her clit and gently slid her finger inside. Lyssandra's senses heightened as did her breaths. As Rey indulged within Lyssandra all of her movements increased in speed. Her finger tickled her G-spot and teased with pulling the finger out, then putting it in again. Her tongue worked magic on her, working up and down, in between and all over. When Rey felt the time was right, she slid another finger and stimulated her G-spot indefinitely. Lyssandra's back lifted off the ground and she grasped Rey's hair. With a gasp and another lick of her cunt, Lyssandra's orgasm buzzed incredibly through her whole body, then again since Rey didn't cease her movements. She screamed out in pleasure, screaming Rey's name out into the open. Her orgasm became a faint hum and only then did Rey pull away and kiss her gently on the mouth. Then, Kylo found release. 

Holding back his grunts had been the most difficult thing to do. Only a gasp and sigh escaped his lips. His load was unlike any other he had experienced. His orgasm lasted a lifetime and the load was the thickest it had ever been. He allowed himself to completely relax for only a moment. He opened his eyes, disappointed, he returned to reality. He pulled his underwear and pants back up over his groin and slipped out of the bed. 

He ventured through his room in search of a blanket. He found a thin black sheet that would have to do until the next day. He whipped the length of it out over Lyssandra and let it fall upon her body. He tugged the cover out from underneath and threw it across the room. She shifted again, on her stomach she faced the wall again. He faced her but kept as much distance as possible. He was just beginning to drift when she pushed the sheet off her torso, revealing her bare lower back. He leaned in ever so slightly to find harsh cuts and bruises along it. He pinched the shirt and lifted it as high up her back as he possibly could without waking her. The injuries were intricate to that of torture. There was no way he could have brought them upon her. He never broke skin on her back. 

"Where did you get these?" He barely whispered. He would find out. Not that he cared deeply about her but no one would ever hurt her besides him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just thought we needed a little relief after that turn of events.   
> Honestly, didn't think I'd get this far. Thanks for sticking with me! (:


	14. Chapter 14

After his time with the urchin, Hux found the exercises of torture to be far too barbaric for his taste. However, he needed to attend any further sessions with either of the girls. He would still enjoy giving the orders. It was a different mix to add to his routine. He never thought he would be the one considered for the job. Ren was slacking. He was just relieved that the urchin hadn't tried to escape or succeeded in doing so. It would seem anyone could slip through Ren's fingers. 

Hux did his usual overview of reports from their largest outposts throughout the systems. Now that they have caught the scavenger, disturbances would hopefully diminish. Unless she was working with the Resistance. Then he needed to prepare with drastic measures. He looked forward to getting some answers from her. He didn't understand why or how those girls were willing to risk their lives for the cause of the Resistance. But if he were in their shoes he would most likely do the same for the First Order. _It's all about perspective._  He chimed to himself. He finished his nitpick tasks of the day and finally left the Communications Tower. He made his way to the scavengers cell with a smug smirk on his devilish face. 

With a trooper by his side, he entered the cell with a different set of weapons. He didn't have to return that girl to Ren, he could do whatever he wanted with her. Hux decided not to tell Ren about the scavenger. He had one troublesome girl on his hands already. He felt thaat he could handle the scavenger.

"Good evening, Miss. You'll be pleased to know that you've successfully made enemies with the First Order. Proud of yourself?" He looked up to the girls' dirty face. She hung above him, wrists and ankles bound by chains. 

"Just a little upset that I wasn't made an enemy five years ago." She gazed down on the pale face. She had only seen this man once, didn't even know his name, yet he knew everything there was to know about her. She didn't mind but it definitely put her at a disadvantage in interrogations. 

"You should know, you haven't made enemies with only us, but now, your old friend." Hux faced the tablet towards her, a picture of the urchin and Ren together, side by side. Rey's eyebrow twitched.

"You're lying, she would never join you." Rey's stomach turned over. She didn't believe she joined them but that was a picture of Mouse with Kylo Ren. She pulled herself together and looked back to the man. "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to believe me but I can tell you this, we now have critical information of the Resistance. Thanks to her. She's been the most helpful asset of ours." He placed the tablet in his jacket and took a step back.

"However, she hasn't been associated with the Resistance as long as you have. And I need all the answers I can get." He selected a stun baton for the Trooper to use. "On the spine." The trooper did as instructed, he held the baton to her spine for 5 seconds which was enough to get Rey yelping. 

"Tell me everything you know. I can guarantee this has only just begun." He nodded to the trooper who gave her another jab. 

"I'll never tell you anything." She gasped out. Rey didn't care if Mouse had really been swayed because she knew one look at Rey and she would come back to the light. 

"She told us about you, you know. She told us about how pathetic your need was for human bonding. It is quite sad but no worries, you'll have your chance to betray her as well." He paced the front of the cell, watching her face, hoping for a touchy subject to cause her emotions to spike. She didn't show any of those signs so he attempted to dig deeper.

"She spoke of you so harshly, it was a wonder how the two of you were ever friends. She gave up everything about you. The lies she's told you over the years, the tricks, the deceit. She gave us everything!" He raised his voice for dramatics to which she responded.

"No, she didn't!" Rey jerked against the chains in a feeble attempt to pull herself free. "She would never do that!" Rey really didn't want them to but her emotions took over. She let a few tears fall down her face. They were cool on her hot face. She had to continue to believe that they were lies, she would break if she did otherwise.

"Again."

 

Kylo woke in the early hours to Lyssandra's flushed face next to his, hints of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. He gave her a shove to the shoulder and rose from the bed. He whipped the covers off of the bed and tossed them to the corner of the room. She scrambled to sit up on the bed and cover her body with her sleepwear. She rubbed her eyes and eventually crawled out of the safe zone.

Kylo performed his morning routine. Checking the Laundry shaft for his clean clothes and bed dressings. He stood next to the door and pulled on the shaft. He fished out Lyssandra's day wear and chucked them her way. He tugged out his own uniform and dressed immediately. He attempted to watch Lyssandra dress to see if she was going to be open about the markings on her back. As he predicted, she wasn't. She picked up her clothes and changed in the washroom. 

Kylo decided to play the game she was proposing. He was going to keep it a secret that he knew. He dressed quickly while she wasn't around, clasping his mask on he felt a rush of relief. The mask always helped to remind him of his sense of purpose. After the night before, he needed that. He let his guard down, even if it was just his own fantasies that knocked them down. He didn't want to go back there, he regretted every second of it. He shook his head slowly becoming angry with himself. 

"Ready to begin the day, I guess." She stepped out with her uniform in pristine shape, a redone braid and a cleansed refreshed face. She met her gaze with the mask and rolled her eyes in envy.

"You know, you're so lucky and thoughtful. If you had a soul-sucking pimple right in the middle of your face, you could hide it all day and no one would know. I would enjoy that luxury." Kylo had to take a moment to decide if he wanted to laugh or not. He settled with a chuckle. 

"Maybe you should invest time into creating a mask." He flung his cloak around his back and fastened it around his neck and chest.

"Well I mean it would be great for that purpose but I don't think I could deny people the glorious view of my face." She smiled as if she were telling a joke. She didn't believe it but she always liked to make the jokes. He smiled underneath his mask and exited the room. She followed the best she could. Her back was excruciatingly sore and stiff from some of the scabs that had formed overnight. She felt some of them open back up as she stretched and moved. She only prayed she wouldn't bleed to the point of being noticed.

They arrived at the cafe quite early, night workers were just getting off their shifts and heading to their rooms for the day. Hardly any of the day workers were up yet. They were first in line for food. They returned to their room to eat. The food was always the same, only the evening dishes ever changed. For breakfast they had paste, fruit, pastry, and water. It wasn't so bad but the repetition made it unbearable. They scarfed it down, Kylo was eager to start his day. He needed to find out exactly what happened to Lyssandra last night.

Leaving the room in a rush once again, Kylo made his way to the Bridge East Wing, hub of all security footage intake. He still wasn't used to Lyssandra being at his side, he kept checking over his shoulder to see if she was still there. Every time he looked she was off in another world. She was having a hard time focusing on what was in front of her, she only followed the black figure in front of her. 

She was busy hating herself for staying asleep the whole night while Rey had to endure what she had for most likely the whole night. She couldn't believe that she had fallen asleep so easily. Her plan was supposed to be sneaking out while he slept to do some sneaking around. She didn't even want to do anything to reckless. She just wanted to do some recon, find out where Rey was, devise a plan to get her out. Just the basics for a massive escape plan. She kicked herself over and over again for sleeping through the whole night. She didn't want to weigh on it to heavily but it was chewing at her leg so annoyingly. 

They had arrived at the Wing after what had seemed like forever. He inspected the room, pacing and checking the ID's of all the workers. Finding all of the numbers correct for their section of work he began his investigation. 

"Don't touch anything or talk to anyone. Just stay by my side." He whispered over his shoulder.

"Yes, sir." He dismissed her rolling of the eyes and stood behind the highest ranking in the room. 

"I need the footage of Corridor 2-C at approximately 2200 hours last night." He felt Lyssandra's nervousness grow from beside him, which was strange. Either her emotion was strong enough to bypass her walls or they were slowly coming down at her will. He flexed his arm and sent a wave of relief her way. He listened to her inhale deeply and exhale, her heart rate regulated, he turned back to his business. 

"Scrub through the hour, I'll tell you when to stop." The trooper did as instructed. When Kylo spotted Lyssandra he instructed to slow the video. He absorbed every aspect of the video. He watched the unknown trooper strike her and send her falling to the ground. 

"Is there any other cameras that would be able to identify him?" 

"I can check the surrounding hallways that correspond with the assault, sir." 

"Very good, hold on that. I'd like to see where he takes her first." The trooper followed instructions accordingly, only to pull up blank video files. The entire atmosphere in the room changed in that moment. 

"Where are those files?" The words were menacing. The tone murderous. Lyssandra broke out in a sweat herself, completely terrified of what might happen. 

"Sir, I just got on my shift, whoever disposed of them from this data bank was on the night shift." Kylo's fingers twitched. His eyebrows spasmed from behind his mask. He grabbed the worker by the shoulder and threw him against the wall across the room. He held him where his back hit the wall in a choke hold. He approached him and watched the color drain from his face. 

"I need to know who gave clearance to delete those files. I will come looking for you if I don't receive a name within the next hour. As well as the ID of that trooper. Are we clear?" Kylo released the hold in the slightest.

"Couldn't be any more clear, sir." When heard, Kylo released him and stalked out of the room. He missed the rush that intimidation gave him. Leaving the room, he heard Lyssandra's small steps behind him. Making a slight turn around a corner, he waited until they were both on the side of the wall. He spun around and pinned her against the wall. His forearm against her throat and elbow against her wrist. He let her other arm free in an attempt to remove his arm. It was amusing to see her try. 

"Now, there are holes in the story you gave me last night. You said there were two troopers, as well as they had smacked the food into your face. Why are you lying?" Kylo watched her entire face change as soon as the last words left his mouth. Not one of distress, or cowardice but of anger. Her face fueled with rage, she tensed her torso, then her arms and hand. She pushed him off of her and sent him back a few feet. She didn't attack but she did surprise him. He kept the distance until her breathing slowed. 

They both composed themselves, straightening themselves out and dismissing the audience they had created. 

"If you expect me to have a conversation with you, assaulting me isn't the best way to open." She stood before him but avoided eye contact with the mask.

"I believe you'll find that's my nature. Intimidation and assault instill fear which provides good work ethics." He stood tall before her, analyzing her every move hoping to get answers from body language.

"I think you'll find that I'm not your employee and I'm not like all the other people here. I'm not scared of you." She spat the words with the greatest defiance he had seen since Rey. Nobody ever spoke to him like that. It was refreshing.

"Is that why you feel the need to lie to my face?" Her face had changed again. She wasn't afraid of him but there was something. He couldn't sense her emotions anymore so she had to have reinforced her walls. However, there were still things he could pick up with her body language.

"I apologize for lying to you but I needed a cover story." She inhaled and held back tears. Her nose became stuffy as well as turning pink. 

"Is this the part where you tell me the truth?" 

"This is the part where I keep it from you until you find out yourself. Which you will." She wiped her nose and cleared her watering eyes. She gave one last sniffle and it was like it never happened.

"You anger me like no one else has." His tone was bitter but not like it was back in the surveillance room. She saw that as a plus.

"Aren't you glad to have me around?" She smirked at the mask. He debated that question. 

"Sir?" They both looked to the voice. Hux's second. "General Hux would like a word with you." The man turned on his heel and leaded them into the Bridge of Main Controls. 

In the Bridge Hux was overseeing controls when they had met with him. Since there was no specification of Lyssandra to be there or not, Kylo brought her. 

"General Hux. You've requested my presence?" Both stood tall waiting for Hux to see them. As usual he pulled away from his conversation immediately.

"Yes, I wanted to see the both of you." He glanced to Lyssandra who kept her chin high without making eye contact. "I'd like to formally invite you to a private dinner with me and some other representatives this evening." Both were taken by surprise of the invitation.

"What is the purpose of the dinner?" Kylo approached the subject wearily. It wasn't a normal proposition in their line of work. There were never any special dinners. Only meetings but Kylo had always opted out and let Hux do all the talking.

"The dinner is also a meeting. Both of your attendances are critical. You two are one of the main topics to be discussed. I've chosen a dinner as a way to _welcome_  your new companion." Another side glance to Lyssandra. "Should you accept the invitation, formal clothes will be required." Hux excused himself and resumed his duties. They both stood in silence, comprehending what just happened. They stayed like that for a while, both in the same school of thought. Without a word, Kylo left the room and without question, Lyssandra followed. 

Kylo continued his oversights as he did before Lyssandra was even in the picture. He visited the Communications Tower and got caught up on the reconstruction of his outpost of Ilum. The planet where lightsabers were manufactured by Jedi and Sith alike. He ordered the outpost so he could monitor if anyone ever tried to make a saber. Anyone who set foot near the crystals would be killed on sight if not approved by Master Snoke. He made that very clear to Lyssandra. He walked her through the outpost as if he were there. Then, he became reacquainted with updates of his fellow Knights of Ren and their training. He gave a briefing of each Knight. He spoke of Trilk, the one to replace Kylo if anything were to happen to him. Trilk was a Ghorfa, also known as a Tusken Raider. He was kidnapped at birth but inherited part of his culture. He still wore cloth and head gear. He was never known to speak English but he has proved that he understands it. Kylo spoke in a neutral sense of Trilk. Trilk was showing great promise, Kylo recognized that but he also didn't want to stand for it. Lyssandra was a good listener to all of the information Kylo had dumped on her. He might regret giving her all of that information but she was very easy to instruct. She always demonstrated her understanding, clarified on things she didn't understand, used examples in her questions, and always nodded and assured her attention. He made sure that he kept everything that was supposed to be classified and worked his way around subjects that were. They weren't close enough yet. He thought they might have been getting somewhere with the wall breach that morning. But he fucked that right up by assaulting her. But then again, he wasn't sure. 

"This morning, you allowed me to sense your anxiety. Was that on purpose?" He brought up the subject slowly yet out of nowhere. But he often reminded himself that she could skim the surface of his thoughts as well. 

"Oh... Yeah, I guess that happened. I don't know what happened it's just such a touchy subject and I wasn't thinking clearly. I'm surprised you didn't dig. Why didn't you?" They didn't look at each other in case things got out of hand in a friendly way. Such as, catching each other in a warm embrace and begin opening up about their problems. It was silly but they were cautious with each other and they both felt the same way.

"I suppose, I'm just trying to gain more trust from you." Silence. Kylo returned to any of the business he was tending to, Lyssandra watched. 

They returned to their room with lunch in hand, entering the room he followed her in. Without demonstrating the meaner side of himself. The day was full of surprises from Kylo Ren. 

"Are we actually going to that dinner tonight?" Lyssandra pulled him away from his food. He looked to her and juggled his thoughts for a moment.

"I would rather not. I don't see the point in us being there. Those representatives don't have permission to be intrusive about our..." He paused for a moment, searching the lengths of his mind for the word. "Affiliation with each other." His face scrunched in the slightest. It wasn't the right word to say but he'd rather use that than 'relationship'. She shrugged and turned back to what was left of her lunch. She didn't really care about the dinner but back to one of her earlier plans of infiltration, it was perfect. She would play along as a servant of Kylo Ren's but listen to every conversation held around her. It would be nice to be there for that reason but she didn't have any clothes to wear for it. She shrugged to herself again. 

Outside of the door, someone slipped a HoloMemo into Kylo Ren's holo box. For the sole purpose of HoloMemos' every room had one. When one was delivered to the room, an alarm rang until opened. When Kylo's alarm rang in the room he groaned and drudged to the door.

"What is that?" Lyssandra followed behind him to the door.

"Unlikely anything that concerns you." Kylo snatched the HoloMemo out of the box and played it. All HoloMemos' were recordings, it was of his Master. 

The creature seemed odd, so small in his hand. He was so used to his holo being the size of his chamber. The recording started. 

"Kylo Ren, it has been brought to my attention that you are not associated with the General's party of First Order delegates." Kylo immediately knew where it was going. "If you aspire to be my successor you will become acquainted. Failure of this will result in the crumble of First Order professionalism. The General has invited you and your _Apprentice,"_ He hissed the word as if to tease and make fun of Kylo. He didn't understand why but he wasn't one to question. "To the dinner I have asked him to arrange. If my requirements are not met, well, you are familiar with my forms of punishment. Is your apprentice?" The holo disappeared back into the device. He shoved it back into the box, slamming it shut. He stomped back to his bed. He sat down for a moment. He couldn't believe he was being ordered to go to a stupid fucking dinner. The thought of going held so much stupidity on its own. His subconscious took over. He stood up off the bed, hooked underneath and flipped it over. He felt so childish but that didn't stop him. He then proceeded to completely disarray the entire room in a tantrum. He ripped out the drawers that held his clothes, tossing them across the room. He knocked over any stands he had, shattering anything delicate atop of them. He gripped his saber in his hand, preparing to ignite and mess everything over even more. He would've but of course, she stopped him by speaking.

"Are you done yet?" She sat cross legged in the middle of the mess. Not a scratch on her, it would have seemed he tantrum-ed around her completely. He felt embarrassed but he composed himself in record time.  

"Yes." Was all he said. She didn't need an explanation. She just wanted him to pull himself together. She had seen many people lose themselves over something silly, sometimes she did. Perhaps, not as excessively but everyone had really bad days. That day was Kylo's. She didn't mind but she just hoped he would help her clean it up. She picked up the drawers and began sliding them back in to the dresser.

"We have droids that will be able to clean this. You don't have to." He felt even more stupid watching her clean up his mess. 

"You should be cleaning your own mess but then again, you shouldn't be making the mess in the first place. Now, you can watch me do it and feel like a stick in the mud or you can help me." She didn't pull away from what she was doing she just kept cleaning. She was definitely stubborn but Kylo already knew that. Reluctantly, he pulled any stands back up, pulled the bed back down on the floor and did his best to clean any glass. He never cleaned his own mess it was a first for him. If she wasn't there he would have gone further. He didn't understand how she did that to him. He hated her for it but also didn't. She did nothing wrong, she didn't fuel his rage. Not in that instant anyways. She only help him quit and clean up after it. It was weird and an unnatural feeling for him. He brushed it away and finished the room. 

There was still the glass that needed cleaning up but that was out of their hands since they didn't have a broom.

"There. That is an acceptable mess for a droid to clean up." She looked up to him with a proud half-smile on her face. She didn't want to compare Kylo to a child but there was nothing else those actions could compare to. She would never call him a child or call him out on it. She wasn't that rude. But she knew that she helped him in a very small way. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was still a little bit of something. 

"So, I don't know about you but I have nothing to wear to that stupid dinner." On the other hand, she wasn't very considerate of peoples' sensitivity to certain subjects. 

"Yet another reason why I don't want to go." He groaned again, throwing his hands in the air. "It's so stupid." He unclasped his mask, placing it on a stand. He mumbled something along the lines of 'I hate everything about it.'

"Yeah I'm not appreciative either but I'd rather not meet that weird person on bad terms..." She huddled in between her shoulders, getting shivers about that figure she saw. Kylo was reminded more of the holo. It escaped his mind that he threatened her as well. The words danced in his mind like the burnings of a cigarette. If she were to be a Sith she would have to be exposed to him in that way soon enough. But she would be in trouble if he didn't go. _It won't be long before she angers him on her own._  He didn't want to be the reason of her first punishment. He would go but not for the reason she might think. 

"We'll figure something out. I don't have anything else other than this. So we have until dinner to find nicer clothes." He clasped his mask back on. He exited the room without a destination. He would look for Hux and force him to find the clothes for them. No other ideas were generating. 

"This is really dumb." Lyssandra would have never thought she would have dinner with the enemy but she needed to cooperate. It wasn't hard to infer that that was Kylo's Master. If there was anything worse than what had been done to his back before, he would do it. All of it was becoming so real, so fast. She needed to take action quickly or get caught in the maze of the First Order. She knew what she had to do. 

If Kylo didn't find out about Rey and Hux's interrogation before the dinner, she would expose him to at least shed light on Hux. She knew Kylo would be interested in the fact Hux hasn't told him about Rey. It would also get him off of her back about the assault. If it came to it she would finally unleash her skills in the Force and escape. She didn't know how but she knew that it had to be at the dinner.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Audience be warned:
> 
> This chapter deals with a scene in the aftermath of Rape/Non-Con  
> The scene is not described only the aftermath.
> 
> Thank you.

Making her decision, Lyssandra felt everything become more awkward when she was around Kylo. On her part of course, he continued to be his intimidating, brooding self but it seemed Lyssandra forgot how to act around him. Her decision had no major impact on Kylo, unless she would be forced to fight against him. She didn't know how that would go, she didn't want to imagine it either. She just hoped Kylo would believe her when she exposed Hux. If he did he might want to go see Rey and Lyssandra would be obliged to follow. If he didn't, well, she'd have to break free to see Rey herself. It was definitely a risky chance to take. But that was going to be the most action she would be making in her whole time there. She did learn but she figured it was finally time to act. 

Kylo attempted to make arrangements with Hux to have some form of clothes delivered for them. He never attended anything more than a meeting and it was acceptable for him to be wearing his uniform. He would feel stupid the entire time but he thought it might be humorous to see Lyssandra dressed up as well. 

All Hux had said to them was 'It's taken care of' which made no sense since they had not seen any clothes prepared for them. It was amazing to be associated with only two people in the whole galaxy and they both shoved him to the brink of insanity. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to put up with it. Occasionally the thought of disappearing in the galaxy bounced off the walls of his mind. He thought over and over of how he would do it. It seemed easy but not with his Master still alive. The daydream always ended by being crushed and stomped on by reality.

The duo made their way back to the room to investigate the taking care of their clothes. When they arrived a droid had just left their room. They both sped up their pace and stumbled into their room to find an outfit for each of them laid out on his bed. The same thought had run through their heads. _Fuck me sideways if I have to wear that._  


It seemed easy but not with his Master still alive. The daydream always ended by being crushed and stomped on by reality.

The duo made their way back to the room to investigate the taking care of their clothes. When they arrived a droid had just left their room. They both sped up their pace and stumbled into their room to find an outfit for each of them laid out on his bed. The same thought had run through their heads. _Fuck me sideways if I have to wear that._  


Lyssandra's outfit consisted of a black mini dress with a design that resembled lace. Sleeves and chest see through. She held back a gasp when she found the dress was backless. She couldn't believe Hux. She contained a panic and a fit. She looked to Kylo's outfit. He had a dark grey t-shirt with a black jacket and dress pants. They found their shoes underneath the bed, Kylo had dark brown, polished dress shoes. While Lyssandra had heels that she would not be able to walk in _._  


 

"Kylo, I can't wear these. I won't be able to walk." She looked up to him hoping he would tell her not to wear them. 

"You can't use mine, you'll have to make do." He stripped himself of his cloak, mask and belt. She grudgingly made her way to the washroom to change. Both didn't take long to strip and wear the outfits, they spent a lot of time hating it and staring themselves in mirrors. 

Kylo dressed with precision, ensuring no wrinkles, fitting the clothing perfectly with his body. He ran his fingers through his locks, pulling them out of his face. He patted them down, a feeble attempt to soften them. He pulled on his chin, investigating the scruff that had grown over time. He didn't care for facial hair that much. He would shave when Lyssandra was ready.

Lyssandra didn't actually mind the dress, it was very cute yet it would give men awkward boners. She would have like it backless if her bruises, scrapes, and cuts weren't there. But they showed as clear as day. She didn't want to but the only way to cover them was to let her hair down. She untied the end and fumbled her fingers through the stitches. Her hair wasn't as thick as it used to be so the waves weren't out of control. The loose waves danced down her back, lengthening farther than the dress. Sometimes she trimmed her hair, she needed one soon. She fished strands from her bangs out of the waves and began to loosely twist, she added more hair to the twists as she reached her way to the left side of her face. She did her best to secure the twist with the one elastic she had but it looked fine. A few deep sighs later she left the washroom and stepped out into the room. She felt Kylo's eyes on her and became uncomfortable. 

"You look ridiculous." She couldn't help but smile at the comment. She did feel ridiculous and he wasn't afraid to be honest with her about it. 

"Thanks, you look pretty dumb yourself." He shared a hint of a smile with her. They had a strange partnership. But it was becoming bearable which terrified the both of them. 

"There's some minerals and creams that were left for you over on that stand." He shuffled into the washroom to shave.

Her eyebrows furrowed together as she went to investigate. She didn't think she would ever have access to those sorts of luxuries in the hands of the enemy. She held a small palette of eyeshadow in her hand, there was only a small selection of colors but they were lovely. There was a small container of lotion and some sort of blending foundation. She didn't want to use anything really but it had been ages since she moisturized her face. She dipped her finger in the white substance and spread as much needed across her face. It did work wonders on the surface of her skin. She did her hands but didn't want to use the rest of it. She looked into the mirror again and really analyzed herself. She looked like shit but she imagined she looked a lot worse the week before. She decided to humor Hux and apply the cosmetics. She applied a violet shade to her lids with the tip of her finger, blending it out the best she could. She blended the foundation into her face and down to her neck. It would have looked a lot better if she had the appropriate tools but she was fine with whatever she had. 

Soon enough, Kylo stepped out with a freshly shaven and moisturized face. He did look quite snazzy, or so Lyssandra thought. 

"Do I really have to wear those dumb heels? I would rather go bare foot." She would've too but she felt that she might have gotten in trouble with someone. The heels weren't terribly high but even back on her Earth days she never wore heels, it was too painful for her delicate feet. 

"I don't have any other shoes for you to wear. You're going to have to deal with it. If you need to put 75% of your weight on me, so be it." He became exasperated with her stubborness but he wasn't going to deal with it right then. He ordered for her to put them on and prepared to leave.

"Okay, that sounds fine. But just be prepared for a lot of complaining." She slipped them on and teetered towards him. She did her best to walk straight but it worked as well as a newborn calf. He extended his elbow for her to hold on to when she finally reached him and she grasped on to it for dear life. 

"Marching into hell we go." He opened the door and did his best to slow his usual pace, trying to be considerate of her weak ankles. 

"I hope they'll be serving alcohol." They both smiled and made their way to the conference rooms. 

 

Kylo and Lyssandra were the odd ones out. No one really wanted to talk with them and for good reason, Kylo was intimidating and Lyssandra was causing awkward boners. They stayed by each others' side and conversed minimally with each other. 

"If everyone would take their seats it would be greatly appreciated." Hux called out to the small crowd of his meeting. 

The table was an oval shape but the seating arrangement was as a rectangle. Kylo found his and Lyssandra's seats next to each other. She picked up her name tag. _Urchin_. She pursed her lips and faced it down against the table.

"Not the most professional man, is he?" She muttered Kylo's way.

"I'm afraid not, he lacks in several fields. It surprises me every day as to how he made General." They shared devilish smiles with one another and waited for something to happen. 

General Hux stood behind his chair across from them and introduced Lyssandra as the guest of honor. She hated being the center of attention and she hated him. All she could do was put on her most convincing smile, play the part of someone who wanted to be there.

The meeting began. The food had not arrived to the room yet so until it did they discussed First Order matters. It began with them all giving updates of their specific fields that they represented. There was the Trooper Initiative President, Technical Services & Manufacturing Advisor, some of Hux's Generals who had returned from select systems to report of any progress they were making in the systems. They seemed like boring people, Kylo and Lyssandra became bored very quickly. When it came to them to bring reports to the table Kylo was unsure of what to say. 

"A few weeks ago in the Outer Rim, Ryloth, I captured this young lady, the newest Padawan learner of Luke Skywalker. Up until last week, I spent most of my time interrogating her using torture techniques. I became to admire her skill of resistance against me. In preparations of the future, I've made her my second, in hopes that one day she will be my apprentice." He kept his tone neutral, sharing glances with everyone at the table except Lyssandra. She didn't mind nor did she really care. She wanted the dinner to be over.

Kylo gave her a nudge under the table, indicating she say a few words. She really didn't want to but all eyes were on her once again.

"Right. My name is Lyssandra, I've been standing by the side of Kylo Ren for a week now. It's been an experience learning the First Order's true cause in the galaxy. I would say it's been a pleasure to be here but torture is never fun." She paused trying to quickly think of a way to properly deliver her secret.

"I would imagine becoming Kylo Ren's second would have made the torture come to an end." One of the Generals had butted in. But now she had a way to deliver.

"Oh, yes, Kylo's hand stopped striking me a while ago. General Hux however is adamant on inducing pain upon me." She stared at the table in front of her and focused on her breathing. She needed to make it even but it wasn't working out so well. Kylo gripped her forearm and tugged on it. 

"The injuries on your back?" He whispered for only her to hear.

"Yes. I couldn't tell yo-"

"Why? What could he have possibly done to make you keep that from me? Because I know you can handle torture." The tone he used wasn't one of anger. It was approaching it but it was almost relief. Perhaps relief that he finally knew the truth.

"He has Rey. Here. Aboard the ship somewhere. He was going to kill her." Their conversation continued to go unheard. The news hadn't really affected the delegates it would have seemed it was a normal announcement to them. Kylo's grip on her arm tightened. He didn't intend on hurting her but if he shifted, he would flip the table and lash out for Hux. He could only grip her and hope to ease his temper.

She thought he was going to break her arm but she didn't care if he did. It hurt but not as much as the thought of Rey at Hux's hand. His eyes were closed but she wouldn't dare try to remove his hand. When his eyes had opened he met with Hux's eyes. Kylo had intentions to kill Hux but he would wait until the night was over. He let go of her arm. She took it back immediately and began to massage it. 

The night went on. The delegates conversed, brought up issues that needed addressing. Kylo and Lyssandra only spoke when spoken to, they didn't talk again after he found out about Rey. 

"Miss Lyssandra, which system do you hail from?" A general had asked her. 

"I'm not sure the system, but the planet would be Earth. Carbon-based, still quite far behind in tech-"

"That system was named Lanakeia by Earth themselves. It's the only inhabitable planet in that system." Hux interrupted her with a smug tone on his lip. She wanted to punch it right off of him. 

A technical services Trooper laid a hand on Kylo's shoulder. He didn't know why he only listened in.

"Sir, a thousand apologies for interrupting. But you've requested the name of who cleared for deleted security files?" The young man had a shake in his voice, praying he wouldn't have the same fate as his co-worker. Kylo remembered in an instant.

"Yes? The name?" He brought his ear closer.

"It was General Hux's second, by order of the General himself." Kylo pulled away and dismissed the trooper. It was all coming together but what Kylo didn't understand yet was why Hux hadn't told him of Lyssandra's torture. Kylo might have been for it. 

"General Hux, perhaps you'd like to share the status of our culprit of disturbances?" Kylo finally spoke above the conversations. Hux's face tinted pink only a shade lighter. Kylo had an idea of who it really was.

"Yes, of course. The culprit was a lone vigilante who was previously involved with the Resistance. Interrogations have begun to inquire if they are still working with the Resistance. When answers are delivered you all will be the first to know." Hux informed quite calmly but he knew the answer Ren was really looking for. 

"With my dismissal of interrogations, I'm sure you must have met them. Who is it?" Kylo spoke in a sly, almost seductive tone. He knew how to push Hux the right way into getting what he wanted out of him. 

"It's, uhm, a girl. The scavenger who appeared to be Force-Sensitive. The one you let escape all those years ago." Hux pulled on his collar, his face changing to darker hues of red. With a nod and a hum, Kylo dismissed the conversation. Everything came together at that table. 

The meeting continued on topics Kylo didn't care for and Lyssandra didn't know of. They both waited to be fed and leave at the earliest chance they could. 

Refreshments started being served, Lyssandra chose champagne and drank her glass way faster than she should have. Kylo scolded her for it but she didn't care. She didn't want to be sober anymore. She exposed Hux but it didn't get the reactions she was hoping for. She thought Kylo might've thrown a fit and flip the table but she only got a bruised arm out of it. She sat in silence trying to listen to the conversations around her. 

When the meal was served, everyone had eaten and topics took a more casual turn. Some generals began to speak of their sexual affairs or scandals in their communities. Others talked of sports games Lyssandra wasn't familiar with. When some of the delegates had become drunk, Hux dismissed the dinner but asked for the duo to stay. They both groaned internally, becoming annoyed in the same way.

"Ren, I'd like to have a word with you about the lovely Miss Lyssandra." Hux took his seat once again, propping his elbows on the table.

"Yes, it would seem that I would feel the same." The two of them entered a staring contest, neither blinking nor breaking contact.

"Why did you attack her without informing me first?" Kylo finally spoke after what seemed like ages. 

"Someone had to get some work done around here. I didn't want to wait around for your disapproval. Your techniques hardly seem to be working." Hux pointed to Lyssandra but neither her nor Kylo understood what he meant. 

"I've ceased all forms of torture and interrogation." 

"Hmph. No amount of minerals or creams can hide what you've been doing to her! You could've at least made her eat." Everyone addressed Lyssandra's barely touched plate of food.

"Perhaps, she would be better off back in that cell, away from the rest of us. Kylo, get rid of the urchin." He spoke as if she wasn't even there. She could handle insults from anyone else but from Hux they made her anger increase tenfold. 

"That's not your order to give or your decision to make. I'll have you know that Lyssandra eats 3 meals a day and now gets 8 hours of sleep each night, maintains her hygiene, and proves to be less of a pain in the ass than you." Kylo didn't know why he felt the need to mention all those things about her. He just needed to prove Hux was wrong about her and those details seemed like the way to do it. "Lyssandra, make your way back to the room, I'll join you momentarily." She stood up immediately  and hobbled to the door. When it closed behind her, the yelling began immediately. She took off the heels and made her way back to the room. 

On her way back, she was shoved against the wall, her face pressed against it. _Not again._  The handle of a gun striked her forehead, knocked unconscious instantly. She was dragged back to her cell for Round Two of Hux's torture.

She woke up to being poked with mini tasers. She found that she was stripped completely, in the corner of a cell being approached by two Troopers, both with tasers in their hands. 

"Jedi scum." They would spit out from behind their helmets. 

She was bleeding out but she couldn't find out where it was coming from. There were marks all over her body this time, they spared no mercy on her appearance. She was sore all over and in places she didn't remember being hurt in. She didn't know how long she was out for, anything could have happened. 

Her mind was too clouded with fear and pain to stop them or play any mind tricks to get them to stop. They often changed weapons and beat her mercilessly, she could handle it but she would give out faster than she would hope. 

The troopers weren't even asking her questions they were just hitting her again and again. It wasn't an interrogation, she didn't even see Hux in the room. She conserved her energy and hoped Kylo  would kill those troopers where they stood. Someone stepped into the cell. 

"Maybe now you'll learn not to cross me, urchin scum." The menacing voice bommed from behind the troopers. It was Hux, her heart sunk deeper than it already had. 

It wasn't much longer after Hux arrived that Kylo Ren beat down the door. He immediately threw the Troopers against opposite walls, throwing one of them against Hux. It was brutal to find the state she was already in. He didn't know how they accomplished that much in the time he and Hux argued. But it was Hux's plan to repeat it against her after the dinner regardless of if she told on Hux or not. 

"Lyssandra, let's go." Was all he could manage. Her hair was a mess, if her body wasn't red it was black with bruises. She heard his voice and craned her neck to face him. She was relieved that he was there. She wouldn't have been able to make them stop. She did her best to stand up. Her entire body burned like she was being branded all over. She couldn't straighten her back or knees. With deep breaths she called on all of her strength to walk to him. She lifted a leg and collapsed to the floor. 

"Kylo... I can't walk..." Only then did she start to cry. She held back sobs but it was too late to pull the tears back into her ducts. She whimpered on the floor, terrified he would leave her pathetic, frail body with them. 

Kylo buried his anger and pulled on a new suit that he hadn't tried before. Sympathy. He rushed to her as she fell, she pulled her hair away from her face, he never saw her cry before. He dug his arm under her knees and pulled her torso against his. She was lighter than he remembered but nonetheless he rushed her to the safety of his room. 

He laid her out on top of one of the ledges against the walls of his room. He assessed her body, lifting her limbs and turning her over. She wasn't bleeding from anywhere else except from in between her legs. 

"Lyssandra, can you hear me?" He took his hands off of her until she answered.

"I'm not dead, if that's what you're really asking." She kept her eyes closed.

"I have reason to believe that you've been raped. Do I have permission to investigate?" He needed to be careful or she might not trust him ever again.

"Just help me. Please." He took what he could get. He spread her knees to find the evidence he was looking for. He didn't say another word, he only prepared a hot shower for her to sit in. He carried her in and set her on the floor of the shower, directly under the stream. He stripped down to his knickers and rinsed her off, washing out any open wounds. He tamed her waves, rinsing out the dried blood in them. He did his best to massage some of her muscles but she only winced and asked him to stop. He stopped the water, she used him as a crutch, leaning against him. She could walk a little bit but that's what Kylo was for. He cleared a stand for her to sit on while he dressed her wounds. He cleaned her scrapes and open cuts. They were small enough that they didn't need much dressing. He didn't have any way to help her bruises. 

He decided to go another mile in his marathon of helping her, he tackled the tangles of her hair. He gave his best shot at how he thought a braid went. He didn't do the same as she did with sections from the top of her head, just a plain sloppy braid. He helped her to the bed and tucked her in. 

"Thank you, Kylo. I'm so sorry." He sat next to her, he brought his ear to listen to her weak voice. 

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I shouldn't have told on Hux or told you like that. I wasn't thinking and I was just so mad at him." Her voice started cracking to the point where words could barely come out.

"Dont apologize for being your stubborn sometimes idiotic self. I'm going to get him for you." 

"While you're doing things for me," She let out a huff that was meant to be a laugh. "Do you think we'd be able to go find Rey?" Her eyes widened, definitely a form of begging.

"We'll see. Get some rest, I'll be back later." He dressed himself back in uniform and set out for blood.


	16. Chapter 16

A couple of hours later, Kylo came back to the room and stripped down to his underwear and slipped into bed with Lyssandra. She stayed asleep until he accidentally elbowed her in the face while he was climbing in. She whimpered and rubbed her nose.

"What did you do to them?" She didn't really care about her nose. There were more important situations at hand.

"After finding their numbers, I killed them while they slept. They had no grounds to do that to you. I also had a reason to almost kill General Hux, but I didn't." He laid on his back, looking to the ceiling. He should have killed Hux as well but he also shouldn't have left Lyssandra alone. She would never leave his side again. 

"I don't understand why you didn't." She mumbled while nuzzling into the pillow.

"At the moment, I don't either." She fell back asleep in an instant. He stayed awake.

He couldn't stop thinking about General Hux's stupidity. Before Lyssandra, no one agreed on how stupid he was. His master had always told him he was doing his best and to ignore him. Any other worker or trooper would speak in best regards of him. He hated it because no one realized him for how he really was. He was so glad Lyssandra did. 

She'd come and go throughout the night. Every time she'd pop her eyes open, she'd see him staring at the ceiling. She was too tired to wonder why he was awake and would always drift away again. Eventually in the early hours of the morning, he lay close to her, barely touching, and escaped the harsh realities.

When Lyssandra woke up for the day, she couldn't move at all. She strained to change her sleeping position. She never experienced bruises so extreme. She could deal with it, she just hoped Kylo wouldn't make her get out of bed. He sensed her stirring and woke up to find her stretching under neath the covers. 

"You shouldn't strain your muscles, they're extremely sensitive right now." His voice was almost raspy. He wiped his eyes and watched her peek out from underneath the covers.

"Well, lying still and lifeless isn't gonna help them either." She scootched herself up back to the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. "Can we stay here today? I don't think I can make it out there." She grimaced in the direction of the door. 

"No, I don't expect you to leave this room today." He flopped onto his stomach and faced her way. "I don't feel like leaving either. Usually after the death of a trooper by my hand, they all don't listen to me." She switched to her side to face him.

"Well, it does suck to lose someone you know. I didn't really expect you to kill them either." She spoke softly. She wasn't angry or disappointed in him. He was still trying to figure out what she was. 

"I didn't do it for you."

"So, you killed two random Troopers for no reason in their sleep because you had a fit?" She smiled because she knew he did it for her, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"It happens more often than you might think." He flashed a cheap smile her way. Her emotion changed.

"Is it easy?"

"Nothing ever is."

"Taking a life?"

A moment of quiet.

"As strange as it is, the aftermath gets easier. In the early years, it used to bother me because I did it out of rage but now I use my rage to justify it." She didn't say anything else on the subject. She was trying to imagine the pain and regret she'd feel if she ever took a life. She never did and only prayed she would never have to. In a life with the of possibilities of war, she never knew what to expect. 

"What was your life like before we found you?" He used the same squished voice as when he asked for a real English name. Hoping that would be the voice he'd use to ask her personal questions. She gave him a look he couldn't quite describe.

"Why are you asking? It's not a very normal thing for you to care about things like that." It was a look of disbelief and humor. That face often shot his way.

"I told you, I believe on your first day here that you spike my interest. No matter how much you still bother me, the interest stays the same. You're strange, it's intriguing." He didn't look at her when he spoke, he was a bit embarrassed but he didn't know why. 

"Oh, well, there isn't a whole lot to me. Which is something probably everyone says." She let out an airy laugh. "God, this is weird."

"Why?"

"I never thought I'd be having this conversation with you. We come from such different backgrounds it's amazing we're not constantly fighting to the death." Lyssandra did feel odd having a normal conversation with him. It was always so serious between the two of them. The pressure on both of them was never lifted until those moments when they decided to stay in bed. 

"That is very true. But that shouldn't mean we can't be friends." He said it. The word they both feared more than anything in their time together. If he planned on spending at least the next few years with her, it had to be put out there eventually. 

"I swear to the Creator, if you pull some shit out of your ass and turn all lovey-dovey, I'm gonna have no choice but to break your nose." They both smiled but agreed that there was nothing else in the picture besides a possible friendship. They didn't want anything more than that. Lyssandra knew Kylo's heart was already set on someone else but she still didn't know if she approved of it yet. 

"Okay, well with that in mind... I mean my Earth days aren't super exciting or something to be jealous of. They're just sort of sitting in my memories now. I don't really miss it, I wouldn't go back..." She gave him the basics to her back story. She told him how she always found humor in a bad situation. It was because she and her sister were often bullied, so whenever they were bullied, Lyssandra would turn the subject around and say something funny where it be about the bully or something in general. It helped because Dimah was always so sensitive and took things to heart. That wasn't who Lyssandra was. She wasn't one to be tossed around. But she told him of the abusive foster home relationships she had to deal with, explained anything he might not have understood.

She tried to avoid anything involving love or sex in the story. She felt the waves of awkwardness crash against her brain in the weirdest way. He let her talk throughout her stories. She had a knack for it. She could tell you a story about paint drying and it would be the most epic tale you'd ever heard. She always found a way to make it more interesting than it really was and that was a really special thing about the way she talked. She commandeered his ship and stole the bounty of his attention in her stories. 

He would often ask her different questions about herself. _Why have you grown your hair so long? What was your culture like? Explain your foster system._ She didn't mind talking to him, she missed talking to anyone, so he would do. It was interesting to finally be able to tell someone about her exciting adventures with Rey, it wasn't the same as reminding Rey of the good times because she didn't have to explain it. But explaining was her favorite part. She completely ensnared the spark in Kylo's eye when she spoke of Rey. It was almost as if anything he thought of how she was was true. He loved the way he spoke of her, he could tell that she loved her too but not the way he did. If what he was feeling was even love. 

"She's the greatest person in the universe... Why would you want her dead?" Kylo's glare of confusion striked against her.

"I never wanted such a thing. What are you talking about?" The mood of the conversation swerved into the ditch because of a random thunderstorm. 

"You want the ways of the Jedi to be diminished. You aim to have me as your apprentice but what of Rey? She would never give in to you, the only way would be to kill her." She fiddled her thumbs underneath the covers. She didn't know why she made the subject change so drastically but it was something that had been bugging her. 

"Lyssandra, I don't know what's going to happen in that field. I don't really want to kill her. What would be the point? If I did, the First Order would have a better chance at ruling the galaxy, then what? Loneliness, that's what. I would have nothing left without the two of you. You two would have nothing left without me. No battle to fight, no cause." He thought back to the most drilled teaching he was ever brought up with. _There can be no Light without the Dark. There can also be no Dark without the Light._ It was the whole reason the Jedi had fallen in the first place. They believed they could live without the Dark existing and that played a part in their downfall. But that also could have been biased with Dark Side teachings. He only hoped they were taught the same. 

"Then what are you going to do with her?"

"I don't know yet. I'm not sure if my Master knows the First Order has captured her. If he does he would want to meet the both of you immediately. If he doesn't, then he's just waiting until the time is right to meet you." He set gaze upon her calm face. He didn't want her or Rey to meet Snoke. They were too innocent and pure. He wasn't sure anymore on if they deserved his wrath. They set out to do exactly what he was. To pass on their teachings. 

"We should quicken his death." The words hung in the air. Neither knew what to say. But the thought consumed both of their minds. Lyssandra laid on her back and closed her eyes and opened her mind. In the last second, she grabbed Kylo's hand and held it softly. She pulled him into her meditative state. 

His presence had an influence on the setting of her state. Instead of him being the wolves awaiting to attack, it was twilight in the sky. It was still colder there, the plant life had seemed to turn more crisp. It had been awhile since Lyssandra meditated but being there with Kylo made it seem so odd. The grass crackled beneath her wherever she stepped and goosebumps formed on her bruised skin. 

"Why did you bring me here?" His voice echoed in her head. She was confused when she didn't see his mouth move. "We're sharing our thoughts. Have you never done this?" A smirk hinted at his mouth at her inexperience. 

"Once with Rey, but we didn't communicate like this..." She wondered if he could dig in her thoughts since they could hear each other like that. It was hurting her brain. She didn't like anything about it. 

"Calm down," He spoke. "Isn't the whole idea of being here to calm down?" He sat on the ground next to where she stood. She followed the action and took the deep breaths she needed. They stayed for a couple of hours, not talking but calming themselves together. 

Kylo rarely meditated, no amount of meditation could soothe his angst. But with Lyssandra it helped. Her aura helped him work through the stress that built up over the years. It was strange that she helped him so much over the past few weeks when his sole intention was to only kidnap her and hope Rey would come after her. Rey did come but it took too long. Now he might not want to let either of them go. 

When Lyssandra came to, her hunger was completely overbearing. Her stomach demonstrated a growl of need. A call came from across the bed that responded to hers. 

  
_I'll go get us food._  

Her walls were coming down and he knew it. However she didn't feel him nitpicking through her archives. She didn't want them to come down but maybe it was because she was opening herself in other ways that there was hardly anything left to hide from him. She didn't like it. 

Kylo dressed in his uniform and left her in his bed to rest. It was such a ludicrous feeling to think that. He had left a woman in his bed while he left to get them food. Out of context, it would be so scandalous. He chuckled at himself. He shook his head, grabbing the front of his mask. He never chuckled or laughed or smiled. He felt so dumb but it was true. The friendship him and Lyssandra were growing was changing him in ways he didn't know if he wanted changed. He caught himself not wanting to shut her out. He caught himself wanting to see her happy. He knew what he had to do in order to do that but she wasn't ready yet. She was too weak for the moment. 

However, Rey needed to know she was all right. Perhaps, she needed to know that he was standing with her for now. 

 

He stepped into her cell to find her bright eyes already on him. He inhaled and took a few steps toward her. He waited for her to say something to him. Anything, anything to prove she was the girl Lyssandra talked about. 

"What do you want with me?" She never broke eye contact with his mask. Her face was dirty, she reeked of sweat and there was dried spots of blood on her clothes. He felt his muscles tighten and constrict. For once, he didn't know what to say to her. He didn't know how to open but he had to soon.

"There are many things about you that are of value to me." Everything he said was the wrong thing. But it was too late. "For the moment, we're on the same side." He inhaled deeply, hoping that that was the right thing to say.

"I find that a bit hard to believe." She sneered his way. Of course, she didn't believe him. 

"Does she fulfill the lonely hole in your heart?" He took the more aggressive tone to deliver it. Which seemed to work because the sneer melted off her face in seconds.

"Don't talk about her."

"I suppose that's an answer. That tells me you care about her enough to try and and make me stop. I'll have you know it won't work." She pulled on the chains with a dash of anger on her face. 

"She's remarkable. You've trained her well. Well, you've learned together with an incredible bond." He spoke the truth he did admire the progress they made. He also didn't mean to but he managed to get the last of the information he was looking for. He knew about the book, he knew about Skywalker, their years together, everything. He didn't let Lyssandra know that because he didn't know how she'd react. She'd probably throw up walls again but she wouldn't be hiding anything else, anymore. 

"What have you done to her?" A lump lurked in the back of Rey's throat. There was no way she would tell him anything unless he finally broke her. 

"For the last week, trusted her and in turn, she trusted me. Strange, isn't it? Your best friend trusting the enemy?" He didn't know why he was trying to get a rise out of her but he was succeeding in doing so. She pulled and tugged on her chains more and more aggressively. He was done playing games with her. He unlocked the chains binding her ankles first, then her wrists. She jumped down inches away from him. She stood her entire 5"6, defiant and all. 

"If you don't take me to her right now, I'll kill you where you stand." Her teeth never separated with the words.

"I don't believe you have the capabilities. I don't want to fight with you." Her expression never changed. "I need you to listen to me. There's been a change among us."

"Why should I listen? You've murdered so many of my friends, tortured my best friend until she broke. Why should I do anything you say?" The defiance she still displayed after all of these years made him ache. 

"See for yourself." He took off his mask and grabbed her wrist, placing her hand on his temple. The touch singed his skin. She was so warm and he was so cold. He felt her looking through his eyes, looking through his memories. She definitely didn't hesitate. She saw them talking that morning in his bed. She knew she was okay and pulled her hand away. 

"Take me to her, please." She stepped down from her stance and receded. He clasped his mask back on hoping to make her understand his plan.

"I cannot do that yet." Her sneer crept back on her teeth. He definitely didn't miss it. "I need you to understand something. As you've most definitely investigated, Lyssandra is not well." 

"By your hand, no doubt." She slowly regained her stance watching him intently.

"If you would just listen!" Her ignorance was beginning to put him on edge. He was for once, trying to help someone and she was just making it much more difficult than it needed to be. "You've seen that she's all right, and I'm not here trying to sway you, so will you just let me explain?" His mood simmered. She didn't. Her stance remained unaltered, her face unchanged. 

"When you take me to her, I will listen to you." It wasn't a negotiation he wanted to make and he didn't want to even stoop down to her demands.

"That won't happen. At least, not today." She squinted. "Lyssandra and I have made a mutual decision, one that we both believe in. I'm sure you wouldn't need much persuasion. But I cannot risk Lyssandra's well-being right now." He began to stroll around the room, her eyes following him wherever he stepped.

"Why, what's this decision?" 

"My master is dying... We've agreed to quicken his death." Speaking the words made him want to vomit. Never has the thought come across his mind. He needed to stop himself. "However, I know that when she sees you, she will force herself to go on with the decision. I cannot devise a plan where her injuries need to be taken into consideration. Do you understand?" He faced her from across the cell. She nodded warily. "I need to wait until she's healed until she can see you. Until then, you must remain here. With no attempts to escape. Otherwise, I cannot ensure you seeing her again. Do we have a compromise?" He stood before her now. He prayed she would finally listen and just cooperate.

"Would you be able to return here, everyday, so I can make sure you're not lying to me?" There was promise in her eyes. She was going to agree he could feel it. 

"If you wish."

"Then yes. I'll cooperate." He left her in the cell and locked it behind him. It was too overwhelming for him. He couldn't do it. His knees gave out only a few steps away from Rey's cell. His body could no longer process the amount of light. Rey made him go over the edge. He could only think of one way to handle and get a hold of himself. He shoved the spirit of Ben back away, made his way down the hall on wobbly knees. 

"Grandfather... I'm lost. I don't know how I came to this point, it escapes me completely. I need your guidance. But I don't know what for. Help me understand what I'm doing wrong because this feeling isn't right." He had lost his grandfathers' mask to the destruction of StarKiller Base. He hated himself for months over losing it. But he then realized he didn't need the mask to connect with his grandfather. It wasn't quite the same but they made do. He stared at the wall, no thoughts or feelings of darkness creeping towards him. Emptiness enclosed in the room. 

"No, what you're doing is right." Kylo's head whipped around the room. He didn't recognize the voice, he didn't know who was reaching out to him. The words weren't reassuring, especially since he didn't know who they were from. 

He left the empty room, more unsure of himself then when he went in. He decided to go to the only stable relationship he had. He made his way to the cafe to get her food.

 

"Oh good, you're back. I need to go to the washroom but I can't even lift myself..." She lay right where he left her. 

"Did you go back to sleep?" He pulled the blanket off the bed and extended his arms for her to grasp. When she did get a grip he lifted her out, pulling an arm of hers over his shoulder. 

"Not really. Bladder needed emptying and my stomach needed filling." She limped weakly at his side. It was pathetic but it was not her fault. They constantly reminded themselves of whose fault it really was. He helped her to the washroom and back to the bed. They ate together and lay back on the bed. 

"If we're serious about what we established earlier today, we need to get planning." She finally spoke. She found his dark eyes filled with regret and anger. He met hers, filled with wonder and curiosity. 

"We won't worry about that until you're better." 

"No, we're going to worry about that now because as soon as I'm better we're going to have a bulletproof plan with back up plans all the way through to Z. I don't need to be better to help plan." The fierce tone she used he might have thought she was angry with him. She had reason to be angry but he didn't know who with. 

"There's something I have to do before we go ahead with this. It'll only be a while." He picked up her tray from the bed and left out the door once again, locking it behind him. He didn't think she'd try to get away, he couldn't risk anyone going in to hurt her. She was completely vulnerable without him. He hated that. She shouldn't have to be vulnerable without him, she usually wasn't. His mind was a mess. He shook it off and headed towards the DataHub. 

The DataHub, a cafe of public computers linked with general files and links to First Order strategies and layouts. Kylo used the DataHub when he had to complete reports. It wasn't often but he remembered Snoke asked for reports on the girl. He was going to wing the entire report because there was no way he was actually going to tell Snoke about everything they've done together. But it had been a week since he had her by his side. This would mark the first report.

He sat before an isolated base, turning it on, a holo erupted from the hard drive. He pulled out the keyboard and began typing immediately. 

 

_15:46 NCT DAY 53 ABROAD_

_FROM: KYLO REN_

_TO: SUPREME LEADER SNOKE_

_RE: CAPTURED PADAWAN WEEKLY REPORTS_

_The girl has begun to open her mind. However, she proceeds to resist me as an ally._

_General Hux has undergone torture sequences as a form of interrogation without my permission. After the dinner you've instructed my attendance for, he ordered for two Storm Troopers to carry on his bidding through torture, unsupervised. As a result, the Girl had been raped and beaten maliciously. These actions have made a setback on my progress of getting through to the Girl. Not to mention, her physical state is in extreme conditions. She is unable to stand by my side for two weeks minimum. The Girl is not one to be broken through force but with patience and understanding she will abide to my will. This I have come to learn over the past week._

  
_Before these actions took place,_ _I've obtained the information of her training. Luke Skywalker has vanished once again. He has written a book containing lessons and scriptures of the Jedi teachings and has passed it on to the Scavenger. The Scavenger and the Girl have been learning side by side for the past five years from the teachings of this book. I've yet to find the whereabouts of the Scavenger and the Book. I've made it my next project to hunt them down. With your approval, I'd like to proceed immediately._  


 

The small lies were the price to pay in mass betrayal. He sent the report and stalked out of the DataHub. 

Dragging himself into the room, he pulled his cloak, mask and belt off. Her head lifted from the pillow as soon as he opened the door. Again, right where he left her. He sat beside her on the edge of the bed. 

"To the death of Snoke." 

"Hoorah." Confusion twisted his face. She laughed and told him to never mind it. 


	17. Part III

The next two weeks had been anything but calm. Lyssandra had a constant worry over meeting Snoke, it made it hard for her to focus on making plans with Kylo. Of course, Kylo often got upset with her over-dramatic self. He didn't have it in him to constantly reassure her that everything was going to be okay. He didn't even know how things would go according to their plans. They did their best to be strategic and elaborate but they didn't know how the plans would seem to others. They often felt the plans were cheap and a poor excuse to betrayal. More often than not, it was in their heads.

Kylo would return to see Rey at 1700 hours every day. He would step in the door not a minute early, nor a minute later. He began setting up his days like clockwork. Going to see Rey was one of his highest priorities. He would update her on the most recent changes or additions along with Lyssandra's well-being. Lyssandra knew that Kylo would go to see Rey but she remained out of contact with her. Kylo told her why and she understood. It was true. Rey would want to make her move forward with the plan immediately but she agreed with Kylo. He would bring back some of her ideas and they always seemed to work out the best. 

Lyssandra's wounds and bruises had yellowed or faded, she was still sensitive but she was better now. Soon after the incident, she went to the infirmary for a gynecology exam. She was clean according to the droid. The only instructions they had for her was to notify someone if something felt wrong. But nothing ever did. She didn't depend on Kylo for anything anymore. She started going out of the room and getting her own food along side Kylo. He would never admit it to her face but he missed her snarky side comments. He didn't care if they were about him or someone else, he just missed them. The time had come for her to completely trust him, she let her walls down completely, now they barely spoke. They always spoke through their thoughts. It was magnificent and completely unexpected. Rey didn't feel the same way quite yet but they would eventually have to get there before departing to Moraband. The desolate planet in which Snoke has hidden himself in his days of sitting in deaths' wake. 

"Kylo, what am I going to use for a weapon?" She paused while dressing herself. A new problem dawning on her mind. 

"We can retrieve your lightsaber fro-"

"I don't have one. I mean, it wouldn't be here. I-I used Luke's," He cringed in the slightest. "For training purposes but Rey would have taken it from when you... yeah." They hadn't gotten much to the discussions of the battle with Snoke and Kylo assumed she made her own in the five years. He also assumed Skywalker had been with them the whole time. 

"Why didn't you make one?" He turned to her before he put his mask on.

"I don't know... It was even in the book on how to do it. I guess we never just got around to Ilum. I guess that's a good thing. I would have been shot if I did." She re-braided her hair with a blank expression. They were too caught up in the teachings and searching in their years. They never got around to making her saber. She almost didn't feel right considering to make it without her Gikino'amaage. 

"All of us wielding a lightsaber is the best chance we have against him. Why didn't you tell me this before?" He leaned back and let his neck hang. It was becoming a common gesture amongst their conversations.

"I forgot until just now! Don't pull that on me. It's annoying." She tossed her braid over her shoulder and jabbed him in the side. 

"You manage to push every nerve of mine to the edge, so don't pull that with me either." He clasped the mask on, still looking to her. "We're going to have to make you one. I can't risk going to find Skywalker's. We have Rey's in our lockup." He pulled his cloak on with the grace of a Sith. He was becoming better at presenting himself. He seemed to develop a taste for finesse in his time with Lyssandra. She carried herself with such grace yet she did well to intimidate with the same grace. He studied it the best he could. Being a female associate and him being a male leader, there wasn't much he could use. He did tune himself to some changes. 

"Right..." She thought of Rey, when she might be able to see her. 

"You can see her today." She didn't even need to open her mouth.

"Thank you." They stepped out of their room, beginning their final days aboard the cruiser. 

 

Lyssandra had only been to the cafeteria and back, it would be her first day encountering anything further. No doubt that would mean Hux. She didn't know how to feel about him. She was better now and that's what mattered most. However, memories would often shoot their way in front of her eyes. She could only brush them off for now. There was no way to get rid of them or at least, that she knew of.

"General Hux." He came to their attention immediately.

"Miss Lyssandra, good to finally see you out and about." He stood before Kylo, addressing her presence in the most condescending attitude. She bit back a bark, she swallowed hard. _Go ahead, amuse me._  


"Glad to be in your presence. Unfortunately, your men can't say the same. Who were they... TK-9516 and..."

"FN-6032." Kylo finished for her.

"That's them. Damn shame, isn't it." The pettiness in her voice could make critics sneer. His face went up in barely contained flames. His jaw tightened and released at least four times before he spoke.

"What do you want?" He spit at them. His anger was entertaining to ignite. They proudly smiled before demanding their interests. 

"I'm going to be taking the Scavenger out of her cell and aboard the Upsilion. It's critical to my mission which I'm sure you're familiar with." Lyssandra noticed he carried a certain tone when demanding things of Hux. One to almost seduce him into giving in.

"That's my prisoner, Ren. You can't just take her as you please." He almost turned away when Kylo gave a subtle wave of his hand. Lyssandra examined his techniques with the utmost precision.

"You will give in to my order and you will not tell Supreme Leader." She felt the power work it's way through Hux's head. He resisted at first but it was if something had been remembered and he gave in. With a shaky voice he repeated the will. 

"Thank you for cooperating." They left the Bay without another glance and Hux tuned back into what he was doing before his embarrassment. 

Kylo lead the way to the cell blocks. He created a mental schedule of how he wanted the next few days to go, in order to do that, they needed to get Rey and start immediately. He stopped before the door of her cell. 

"I just want you to know, I haven't harmed her since she's been aboard. And she's done nothing but ask when she can see you. Don't badger her for not trying." He didn't want to look at her. He felt himself getting flushed thinking about the kindness. 

"Don't worry about it. I know." She placed a hand on his shoulder trying to reassure him. It didn't work very well because she could feel the heat through his uniform. Clearing their minds, he punched in the code of the cell, the door slid open. 

Lyssandra cautiously took a step in, looking in to find the bright eyes meeting hers. 

"Mouse?" Rey took the first few steps forward. Rey could hardly believe it was her. She might not have recognized her if it wasn't for her long hair. She looked too refined to be Mouse. But finally, they nodded to each other, they both gasped and ran into each other's arms. Rey's embrace was so warm and familiar that Lyssandra burst into tears immediately. She didn't care that Rey was squeezing her too hard for her still fragile muscles to bear. She didn't care about anything else in the universe. 

"I thought you were dead." Rey sobbed softly into her ear. She held her so tight that she planned on never letting go again.

"I can assure you, I'm very much alive." Lyssandra's legs gave out but Rey caught her weight but fell to the ground anyways. That didn't stop their hug. Even though it was awkward body placement they still held each other. 

Kylo closed the door behind him. He stood around until they decided to do something other than cry to each other. 

"What happened to you, why were you out for so long?" Rey sat close to her, trying to investigate what was wrong with her. She grabbed limbs and examined the healing bruises. 

"Two unsupervised Troopers is what happened to me. Somehow, they did worse than anything he ever did." The atmosphere became serious in a heartbeat. 

"Why? What were you doing with them?" Rey expected no details to be spared. They cleaned themselves up of their tears and dripping noses.

"It doesn't matter anymore, it'll soon be all behind us." Lyssandra wiped her face clear of tears and nose drips. She grinned, there was no way she could contain the happiness. Rey returned the gesture.

"Ladies, I have the day planned. It must begin as soon as possible." Kylo still stood beside the door waiting for the girls to finish up their reunion. Today was not his day of sympathy. He was beginning to live on the brink of insanity. Anxiety was beginning to overwhelm him so much it was digging it's grave for him. If anything went wrong he would fall in it in an instant. 

The girls stood and stepped out of the cell and awaited Kylo's lead.

"First thing to be done is to clean up Rey. Lyssandra, I leave that to you. I must go prepare our ship for departure. Act swiftly." He parted ways with the two. Lyssandra lead the way instinctively and scurried down the hall with Rey hot on her tail. 

 

"So, how did you two become the best of friends?" Rey battled her thick hair into the buns they should've been so used to going into. 

"Honestly, I'm not really sure. We sort of just... got along better than we both expected. We're sort of, friends, I guess." Rey looked down to the ground and back to her. 

"Friends?" Her voice carried a dark undertone. She wasn't happy. Lyssandra knew it.

"Don't worry about it, Rey. I'm sure he'll forget all about me when this is over." Lyssandra didn't care too much about what would happen afterwards. Maybe he would woo Rey. She didn't know but she wasn't one to worry about the future more than she needed to. 

"Fine but I just hope I wouldn't have to remind you of all the destruction he's done over the years." With a huff, Rey left it at that. She left her rank clothes behind and proceeded with the spare uniform Lyssandra had. Lyssandra bit back her tongue and left out the door. 

"I had my saber, how are we going to get it without causing trouble?" Lyssandra paused for a moment and reached out to Kylo. He was in the docking bay, starting up the engines of the ship. 

"He already has it with him. Come on." Lyssandra broke out into a sprint and let the Force guide her to the bay, as well as pulled on Kylo's presence.

Rey didn't appreciate the friendship they had grown. She was grateful that together they decided to be rid of his Master. That didn't have any impact on her likeness of Kylo. She didn't want to be around him, he still gave her the creeps. She would endure the mission but then her and Lyssandra would run from him, either that or destroy him as well. 

"About time you got here." Kylo was managing the controls on his own. No troopers or pilots aboard. 

"Would have been easier if you brought me down here before." Lyssandra flicked his shoulder, standing behind him.

"I would appreciate it if I had a co-pilot." He didn't direct it at either of them. He wasn't even sure if either of them knew how to fly. He just hoped the comment would open haste in the cockpit. To his surprise, Rey took the seat next to him and began flight procedure. 

The Upsilion took flight so much faster than it would have if Kylo commandeered on his own. He never thought someone who claimed to be just a scavenger could be an engineer, and a pilot at that. 

Kylo set the coordinates for the Unknown Regions, they would have to manually find Ilum, it had been so long since he had been there. He was sure he would be able to find it once he was in the system. 

With mild disagreements, the three of them made it to Ilum. Kylo radioed the outpost to hold their fire upon their arrival. He threw the provisions to the girls and climbed his way into one himself. He lowered the ramp and braced himself for the whipping blizzard winds. 

By protocol, they were searched for any explosives or excessive weapons. It was difficult, but Kylo convinced Rey to leave her saber on the ship. They were clear to proceed. Luckily, Rey wasn't recognized as the vigilante who had blown the place up before. She hid a smirk underneath her parka.

Kylo assumed the lead and trekked to the podium before the cliff face. The land was a vast wasteland, he was actually impressed that the men maintained a living on the planet. The outpost was about a kilometer away from a cliff face that was about 10 stories tall. That was the door to the caves. The Crystal Caves, one of the most sacred places to the Jedi. Kylo never wanted it destroyed, no, he wanted to protect it. For people like Lyssandra, for people of his who didn't have light sabers but were one with the Force. He wouldn't do it for anyone else. It was crucial that she get her Crystal today or perish in their plans.

"Hurry, the sooner we get there, the more time you two will have!" The girls barely heard his yell from two feet away. The winds were powerful against their legs. They didn't let it phase them, they pushed on.

Kylo proceeded to give the instructions that were given to him when he was younger, he told the girls to extend their hands and focus the force against the cliff face. Without question, the two listened and did as they were told. Before they knew it, several chunks of rock fell beneath the surface revealing the temple within. They rushed inside to find cover from the harsh conditions. The girls marveled at the temple, taking in as much of it as they could. It was as nice as a wasteland could offer. However, they knew respect and placed it in their highest. 

"Now, there's something you must know, only you will know which one is your crystal. You need this crystal to proceed in making your light saber. Once you've found it, you will find your way out immediately. Trust your instincts." With instructions given, he began The Gathering for the girls. He looked up to the ceiling of the temple to find the Crystal mobile attached like a chandelier. He cracked his neck and brought his hands up. He moved the mobile along to the proper alignment to open the ice door to the caves. Achieving the alignment, the crystals created a powerful beam of sunlight against the tall door to the caves. A powerful enough beam to melt the thick wall of ice into a waterfall. 

"Go ahead, you have the day to look for your crystal. When the day ends, the door will freeze back over. I won't be able to help you any further." He faced the entrance of the temple, sitting cross-legged he listened to the girls run into the caves together. 

"Why should I need to find my own crystal? I have my own." They slowed their paces as the caves became too dark to run in. 

"Maybe you need to add your own crystal to it, make it even more of your own. Make sense?" Lyssandra was always one to see both sides to the story. She was often the negotiator for peace. This trait really helped Rey because Rey was always at war in her own thoughts. 

"Enough sense for me." They continued their search for the crystals. They didn't really know what they were looking for. But Lyssandra trusted Kylo's word and would hold it against him if it came to it. Right then, Lyssandra heard a whistle. 

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The whistle. I swear it was coming from that way." She pointed to the right path of a Y and bolted down it. 

"I didn't hear anything." Rey still followed Lyssandra, regardless of the non-existent whistle.

They approached a trench in the path that continued quite a ways from them. With a hum, they decided to jump it. It was quite the jump, they would have to use the Force to guide them. Rey and Lyssandra decided once long ago, to not use the Force if they didn't need to. Such as, using it for self-defense and training purposes. No calling to an item because one was too lazy to go and grab it. However, the mission was crucial to their moving forward into becoming Jedi. 

"On three?" Rey smiled to her partner. It was so good to have her back at her side. She filled a crater in her heart. With a nod, they began a countdown. Lyssandra peeked over the edge of the trench, to her discomfort she couldn't see the bottom. She shrugged it off and prepared to jump. 

"Three!" They took their steps towards the edge. Lyssandra thought of how stupid it would be if the ground collapsed before her on her last step. She almost wanted to laugh when her thoughts became reality, instead she yelped and attempted to grab the ledge. Rey had already made it across but as soon as her feet touched the ground she jumped back over to help Lyssandra. 

"Mouse!" Lyssandra managed to grip a ledger of ice enough to support her weight but not for long. "Grab my hand!" Taking immediate rescue maneuvers, Rey extended her arm for her to grab, keeping as much of her body on the edge as she could. Lyssandra reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. Straining, she began to try and pull herself up when she heard the whistle again. Except, this time around it echoed from inside the trench. She looked down into the trench, she didn't see the bottom but she saw a glow down below. 

"Rey, I've got to go down there!" She tried to pull herself free of her grip. Worming her hand didn't work on Rey's iron grip. 

"You don't know what's down there! I'll pull you up." Rey did start to pull her up but Lyssandra fought against it. 

"Rey, stop it. I think my crystal is down there." Lyssandra used her other hand to try and pull Rey's hand off.

"You don't know that! I can't lose you again."

"Rey, you have to let me go. Don't you trust me?"

Silence.

"Just let me go." Rey's eyes began to well up. She made an effort to blink the tears away. She did trust Lyssandra but the last time she let her go out on her own she was kidnapped. She really didn't want to let that happen again. But she also didn't want to force her to stay at her side. She closed her eyes and let go. Her eyes opened back up to find Lyssandra gone into the darkness. Calling her name out would be pointless. She needed to trust that she would be fine.

The trials of the caves did a number on Rey. But as she got back up on all fours, she saw a glow within the ice. A bright blue glow, she put her face against the ice to see a shape inside. She whispered to herself and put her bare hand against the ice. She closed her eyes, using the Force she broke layer by layer of ice until she reached the small crystal within. She held it in her palm and made her way back to the temple. 

Reaching the entrance, she looked to the ice door which was only about a quarter way frozen. She still had a lot of time but she wished Lyssandra luck anyway. She saw Kylo right where they had left him but was hesitant to join him. He knew she was there but he didn't want to force a conversation on her. 

"Did you know the Caves would test us?" She took a few more steps toward him but kept the distance quite far. 

"Yes. If you haven't noticed, everyone has flaws. The Caves give you a lesson in overcoming those flaws. In the least, they make you realize what your flaw may be." He didn't change his position, he stayed seated, gazing at the walls of the temple. 

"What changed you? Why are you helping her?" Rey changed the subject. Flaws weren't exactly the best topic for people who were supposed to be trusting each other.

"There's no easy way to put it. But being with her every day, it's exhausting. But it's also rewarding. She teaches me something new every day. Whether it's good or bad. She's changed me." He didn't realize how honest he was being until he replayed the words in his head. He scrunched his face beneath the mask, disgusted but only a little bit.

"She is quite a handful but she makes it worthwhile along the way." She let out a light chuckle. She really did miss Lyssandra but she didn't know what was going to happen to them after they killed Snoke. Would Kylo even let them go? She didn't know. She hit the ground and decided to meditate until Lyssandra came out. She closed her eyes and opened her mind. 

Kylo never meditated again after he did with Lyssandra. It was too odd of a sensation to do it on his own. However, he felt Rey's open mind simmering with Light behind him. It tickled his back, he shivered from it. After a moment, he hung on to it, he embraced it. She felt so warm he felt his face become flushed with heat. Her sense of calm radiated off of her completely. He tried his best to tune into it. It could have been better but he didn't want to push his limitations of Light. The last two weeks had been adjusting hell, with seeing two girls of blinding goodness, there were days Kylo just couldn't do it. He'd spend hours away from his room to clear his mind of the girls. Over the days he began to realize his limit, and would disconnect himself before going over. He wasn't near it yet but the day was still young.

Instead of meditating per se, he formed the meditative stances, channeling his Force connection through his entire body. His concentration was completely engulfed in the movements he didn't even realize Rey following his movements next to him. He looked to her paused with him, she met his eyes, expecting him to continue. He shrugged off his sped up heartbeat, and did his best to tune back into the concentration he achieved. 

"Why did you call her a mouse when I brought her to you this morning?" He spoke quietly, but he felt her pull away from her concentration. 

"When she decided to leave her planet with me, I took her to Master Luke, he called her a mouse. So did one of my friends. Then, it became sort of, a new name for a new life. When I hear you call her Lyssandra, it's so different. She hasn't gone by that name in a long time." Rey spoke kindly and sweetly. It was a new tone for Kylo to hear. He enjoyed it, along with the explanation. He let out a hmph and turned to finish up his transitions. 

"I would imagine you've become better acquainted in the use of a light saber." Changing the subject, he remained in position, in his last transition he stood erect, then faced her.

"Considering I was already acquainted enough to defeat you, I can assure you there was only room to improve." She brought an end to her stances as well, standing before him, she didn't know if he was trying to be intimidating or not. She stood her ground nonetheless. She still didn't trust him the way Lyssandra did. She didn't know how Lyssandra could ever trust him. She spared no details of their battle in the woods. She told her of what he did to Finn. But Lyssandra was quite a stubborn young woman, quite a free spirit. 

Cutting off Rey's train of thought, Kylo swung a right hook aiming for her head. Reacting immediately, she swerved out of the way, she attempted to question but all that escaped her mouth were stammers. She took a few steps away from him to try to clear her mind enough to form a proper question. Her tongue felt fat and heavy, her palms became clammy, she wasn't afraid, only confused, and now was the time to show it. However, he kept stalking towards her and closing the majority of the distance between them. When close enough he would always try to strike her again. It didn't seem like he was really making an effort to hit her, until she started blocking him. With each hook, she would block and push him away from her. She didn't hit him back, not yet. When she began to predict where he would swing, he middle kicked her just underneath her rib cage sending her a few steps to the left. 

Finally, Rey assumed her own fighting stance. She didn't think her comment would be such an insult but she would stand by it. She called out to the Force to guide her actions. She extended her arm, flexing her entire hand out, trying to push him away from her. But he had done the same, their extended hands only inches away from each other they willed each other across the temple but they matched in Force-skill level that they canceled each other out. Changing her course of action in an instant, she brought her other hand up underneath the other and forced his wrist to give out, with his connection broken he flew backwards, only a few feet. He recovered immediately, tucking himself into a somersault he crouched on the ground, looking up to her for a brief moment, she harbored a fury in her eyes that he had seen before. He smirked beneath his mask and jumped high above her somersaulting mid-air, landing with a booming thud a few feet behind her. Inhaling her surroundings, she leaned low and backwards kicked his knee cap inwards. He let out a low disgruntled groan and threw his arms at her. She spun around just underneath his arms and jabbed his throat just underneath his mask. When he reached for his throat she checked him upwards and into the air, where he then landed on his back. She stood at his feet and looked down to the pitiful figure. He then, grabbed her neck through the Force and lifted her just out of reach of the ground. 

"Not... Fair." She barely rasped out of her lips. He continued to hold her as he stood up. At the angle she finally met his height, it was strange to see her completely eye-to-eye.

"I think you'll find nothing is fair." He lifted her higher above him. She looked down to him, her eyelids barely open. She was waiting for the precise moment and it had come. She brought her leg around into a roundhouse to his neck, enhancing the kick with the Force, his connection on her throat broke. With the power of the kick, she flipped herself over, landing on the ground with one knee. She whipped her neck around to find his shadow, it still stood only feet away from her. She gathered her strength in record time. She stood tall, facing him. She let out a yell and jumped toward him intending to break bones. 

 

Lyssandra fell far down the trench. It was a deep one but she had faith that she would land safely, whenever it may be. When she did hit the hard ice, she immediately looked around to find that the glow was no longer in sight. She strolled around the small pit to find nothing else. Her eyebrows closed in on each other the longer she looked around to find nothing. She didn't think about the consequences of her actions once again. She was capable of getting out but now she wasted time falling down the pit and having to get back out. She allowed herself to breath for just a minute. She paused her thoughts and just breathed. She beat herself up for a minute and opened her eyes to find the glow of her crystal embedded into a fissure just underneath her feet. She picked it out easily and tucked into a small compartment of her parka. She jumped up on one wall of the trench then to the other, all the way to the top.

Finding her way back to the door, it was three-quarters down the way. Still a lot of time left but she was glad to be out of there. She looked around the temple to find no one in sight. She spun around and around, studied every aspect of the temple to find no signs of life. She called out their names with no answer. She ran out of the temple and called out their names again.

She landed on the ground with a thump and pulled herself into a deep concentration. She searched for their presences, calling out for them through the Force. She felt them close together. She stood up and followed their connection, it was leading her towards the outpost. Tugging her parka close to her face, she trudged towards the base in hopes of finding her friends quickly. 

 

"What are you guys doing in here? I thought you'd be waiting for me." Lyssandra boarded the Upsilion and hung her parka up against the wall. She pulled her crystal out and tucked it into her pocket. 

"Your boyfriend here decided to do a little study in my fighting styles without giving me a proper heads-up." Rey was in the co-pilot chair getting a stitch done just above her eye. Kylo stood at her side tending to the wound, his gloves and mask off. Lyssandra laughed at the comment of Kylo being her boyfriend. Rey had no idea of what Kylo felt for her and that made it all the more amusing.

"Nonetheless, she's reached my standards." Kylo tied off the stitch and cleaned the rest of her face. He tucked away the med kit into a compartment. 

"It wasn't really fair because I thought he really had it out for me. As well as he fought dirty." Rey slapped an ice pack on her head, and flashed a glare Kylo's way. He hid a smirk from her but Lyssandra saw it as clear as day. _You definitely know how to get her pissed. Oh wait, that's your specialty._ Kylo gave her a look she couldn't quite describe but she laughed some more anyways. 

"So what do we do with these now, well, I lack the materials to make my own." Lyssandra stood behind the pilot chairs trying to inquire their next move. 

"Don't worry Lyssandra, we'll get it done before we're summoned. I promise." He started the routine of preparing the ship for take-off, Rey instinctively following. 

"You can call me Mouse, you stupid head. It's unnatural hearing you say my name now." She gave him a weak smack to the arm. She turned towards the back of the ship, ready to rest for a while. 

"Does that mean we're friends?" He called out to her in a jokingly tone.

"Yeah, it sorta does." Mouse leaned against the wall and drifted in and out of sleep, waiting for the approach of their destination, wherever it may be.


	18. Chapter 18

"You understand why I fought you, don't you?" The two of them stared off into hyperspace designs that illuminated the dashboard of the Upsilion, they sat in silence not looking at each other until he broke the silence. Rey considered the question, she sort of did but it was her own understanding. She didn't know if he had a different intention for it.

"Care to enlighten?" Was all she said. 

"If you can't beat me in a play fight, you're not going to have much of a chance against Snoke, I only think of that because Lyssandra has. She's always telling me to plan above and beyond. Preparing for every possible outcome. That's why." He tried to keep eye contact with her while she spoke, but he got too embarrassed looking into her eyes. It was hard to hide his blushes on his cheek and neck against his pale skin. He didn't stand a chance against her. 

"She's always been like that. But with the both of us working together, it won't come to that. She makes those kind of plans but more often than not, we never have to use them." She looked down and smiled, remembering their years together. "You haven't been with her as long as I have. Keep that in mind." She didn't want to talk to him anymore, she didn't want to open up with him as Mouse did. It would be for the better, but what about after all of it? What was he going to do? Would he remain wrecking havoc amongst the galaxy, would he join them? He couldn't be trusted. She didn't understand how Mouse did. She didn't want to understand. She shook her head, sweeping her mind clear of the clouds. 

She didn't like the way she was thinking. She wasn't usually so defensive, it was difficult with her morals. She didn't want to be the way she was when it came to him. But she couldn't forgive him for what he had done. It was like Mouse didn't take any of the stories into account when she opened up to him. But Mouse was a very different person, it was hard to see things from her point of view. Rey took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, she looked back to the dashboard.

With a few moments of staring, Rey noticed something odd. They were slowing down, but they still had a while to go before they reached the Cruiser. 

"Are you pulling us out of hyperdrive?" Rey's eyebrows closed in closer together as she took evasive action. She stood up and reached up and over the dashboard trying to figure out why they were slowing down. 

"No, I didn't. Why?" Kylo sat up straight, watching her buzz around the dashboard, he knew better than to waste any time in the precious last days of their preparation stage. He took one glance at the controls and knew exactly what was going on. 

"Something has hacked into the Upsilion." The words escaped his lips with a low growl. The only reason he knew that was because the ship wasn't locked on to, but the manual controls had been changed without either Rey or him changing them.

"What? How is that possible?" Rey continued trying to maintain control of the ship but eventually slowed when she found that Kylo wasn't doing anything to help her. It had happened to him once before, he was in Rey's position, but there was nothing they could do. If Rey had some magic networking skills up her sleeve, it might work but what were the odds? He didn't push them. 

"Hide your crystals, besides the rebel bounty on my head, those are the most valuable thing on this ship." He stalked away, going to wake up Mouse, he needed to secure the ship. He didn't know who it could've been, he didn't think it'd be the rebels. No, he hoped it wasn't the rebels, they could ruin everything they had planned. He prayed it was smugglers looking for a paycheck, it would be so much easier to slaughter them. 

He kneeled down beside Mouse and shook her awake with just the right amount of force.It was crazy that he knew exactly how to wake her without her getting mad at him. It was crazy that he had become that close with anyone at all. She came to with the drowsiest glossed eyes he had seen from her yet. She looked around for a moment, then to Kylo.

"What, are we back yet?" Her voice was slurred in the slightest, but Kylo knew that she was fine. He stood up and began to explain their situation. 

"What the fuck, Kylo? How is it, that you, the most intimidating person in the galaxy, has a ship capable of being hacked while still in hyper drive?" She wore the face of annoyance, quite well. Since it was becoming a face he would see often, he just brushed it off and dismissed the question. The network systems connected to the system must have been tampered with when it was under maintenance. He demanded that no changes were to be made but who would ever listen to him. 

He went to lock down the supplies in their rightful places, tucking away any of the provisions they used. He noticed Mouse began to help him. Just as he was about to remark her wrongdoing of something they were thrown to the front of the ship. Kylo hit the windshield and down onto the dashboard, Mouse's back bent against the edge of the dashboard and onto the floor, Rey seated in the co-pilot chair strapped in. 

"You knew they would do that?" Kylo groaned and hopped off of the dashboard. 

"It's what I would do. Cutting off all the engines is the best way to demonstrate they're not joking around." She unstrapped herself and helped Mouse up off the floor. "Shit, that looked bad."

"I mean, it's not like my back still isn't healing or whatever. But actually, I'm surprised I'm not paralyzed with all this damage that's done to it. It's gonna happen one of these days." She exhaled, and gave her body a stretch. "Well, I've never been known to be captured without a fight." She cracked her joints and gave shook off her pains. The ship had finally been locked onto and was being pulled on a freighter they didn't recognize. The red under glow however, wasn't intimidating anymore. 

"You call that a fight, back on Ryloth?" Kylo scoffed, and took the same actions. 

"That was different. Don't patronize me, dickhead." Rey chuckled at their banter, but found herself taking the same actions as well. No one knew how long they would last fighting, but they all had the same mindset. They would do their best, and give no second thoughts. They stood before the entrance, ready for whatever was on the other side. Adding to the list of things that could have possibly gone wrong that day, another obstacle was thrown on top of the pile. Understanding Mouse's words so well, he threw his head back.

"Oh, for fuck's sake..." The three of them collapsed to the floor, the red undertone the last thing they see. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for that insanely gap, but I just got a new job and it's taking longer than I thought to adjust to my new hours of operation. Hopefully I'll be able to even out my priorities from now on. 
> 
> Thanks for reading & waiting !! (:


	19. Chapter 19

Mouse fluttered her eyelids open to her tongue resting on her chin. It was fat and numb and couldn't seem to keep it in her mouth. Her head was covered with some sort of duffel that smelt like sweat and someone's butt. She flexed every limb, comforting herself that everything was right where she left it. She was bound. Typical. She overheard a muffled conversation about 20 feet away from her. She did her best to listen to what  they were saying but she was still waking up. She closed her eyes and listened in on what was around her. She heard two bodies on either side of her, recognizing exactly who they were. They weren't awake yet, so she reached out to the both of them.

_Wake up, we have to get out of here._

She felt Kylo's presence begin to muster next to her, Rey's following shortly after. Mouse's head hurt and her tongue was still not cooperating. Reassuring herself that they could get out of the situation, she reached out to them again.

  
_Being high on drugs isn't as fun as I remember._  Kylo groaned to the completely stupid remark.

  
_Shut up._  He managed through their connection. Even in their heads, he had his usual, dreary, grumbly tone. 

The voices moved closer towards them, Mouse took a deep breath, praying it was a low-life that they could take out easily. Even steps away, the voices couldn't be deciphered, they still tried, but nothing was getting through the bags on their heads.

The bag from Kylo's head was ripped off, tugging on some of his locks, whipping his neck back against the chair. The room as dark, however the blinding fluorescent light shining directly on him, made it hard for him to see anything for the moment. Blinking long and hard, he was able to see the people's faces. A young man, with a younger companion. He managed to tuck his tongue back into his mouth. He looked over to the girls, whose bags weren't removed yet. The man grabbed his chin and forced him to look towards him.

"Eyes on me, asshole." Definitely new to the intimidation game. Kylo grimaced but cooperated. He wouldn't say a word, he knew better. If anyone were to get them out of it, his credits were on Mouse. He took a deeper look into the two's attire. Orange, and white jumpsuits. Something he swore he recognized. The older whispered to the younger, his shoulder in sight. There it was. The resistance insignia. He threw his head back and groaned again.

  
_It's your best friends, the Resistance, to the rescue!_ He cheered completely unenthusiastic. He noticed Rey wriggle and worm the most but just as they couldn't her outside of the bag, he couldn't hear what she was trying to say. He needed the flyboy and the traitor. Unfortunately, he would have to be annoying in order to get them. He swallowed his saliva and pulled on the persona.

"Aren't you a little young to be handling prisoners as wanted as us?" He spoke with the bitterness of a brisk, chill morning of the coldest day. With the glare in his eyes he knew he immediately set the older one off.

"What did you say to me?" He hunched over, and peered at Kylo through his closed in shoulders. 

"Considering you look like you just overcame puberty, I doubt you're capable of handling us." He missed being the unruly annoyance. He let Mouse have the fun all too much. 

"I'll show you what I'm capable of." The man raised his fist high above his head, about to bring it down on Kylo's eye socket. A suave voice came from the corner of the room. 

"That won't be necessary, Private. Stand down." The man did as he was told and stood at attention. The suave man stepped around the light but always making his way closer. Kylo didn't even sense another in the room, he needed to know who it was. Since it was obviously someone in charge. "What a catch! I must say I'm impressed, Private. You managed to catch one of the leaders of the First Order, almost single-handedly and brought him right to us. Go find the General, and tell her the good news." He made one step into the light and Kylo knew who it was before it even shone upon his face. Poe Dameron. The two exited the room, leaving Poe and Kylo for the moment. 

"Embarrassed? I would be too. Being caught at the hands of rookies is quite an unavoidable embarrassment." Kylo inhaled through his nose and out his mouth. It was quite stupid that they got locked on to at all, hacked at the least! Kylo was furious, and it was blurring his mind of what he originally wanted the flyboy for.

"How the tables have turned, now it's your turn to wake up bound, in a strange place being stared at by people you don't know, and toyed with. Remember that fun time?" Poe stood close to his face, Kylo felt the urge to spit in his face, but he knew he couldn't. The girls continued to strain against their binds, but Poe just ignored them. Kylo couldn't anymore, he needed their support or he might kill him. Before he could tell him about his plus-two, Poe hooked him right underneath the cheekbone, sending his skull flying as far as his neck would allow.

"Now, you tell me where those innocent, bright, young girls are, or it's your life." It was threat he had heard before. But he delivered it well, he would give him that. But Kylo couldn't believe that he didn't know that it was the girls bound right next to him. He began to find it hilarious, even let out a chuckle. 

"How embarrassed would you be if I told you, that these two are actually them?" The realization set in on Poe's face, and that made the hilarity of it that much sweeter. Poe acted fast, tugging the bags off of them immediately. The girls adjusted to light.

"Embarrassed? I would be too." Kylo spit at him with such pleasure. Poe gave him a glare and began untying them. When the girls finished adjusting, they flew into Poe's arms, squealing his name. Kylo understood why he wouldn't be untied, but he definitely wouldn't let Mouse forget about him. As much as he didn't want to think about it, he knew Rey would forget about him in an instant. 

The three of them clamoured and buzzed about to each other, completely disregarding Kylo, he tried to reach out to Mouse but had little success with her rush of emotions. He sat there patiently, waiting for them to acknowledge him. 

 

"I can't believe you guys allowed yourselves to get caught! I thought you guys were so much better than that. You guys have been gone for far too long." Poe held both of them under his arms, embracing them so tightly. "Mouse, it's been too long." He let Rey go and lifted Mouse off of the ground with a hug. He couldn't believe how much she had grown from the little girl the met in the sandwich shop. 

"Ow, my hair, you're pulling my head back." Mouse's neck was pulled back from Poe's grip on her waist, her braid got caught and wasn't loosening. Poe set her down, and ran the braid through his hands.

"Like I said, it's been too long. Let me look at you." Mouse felt like a child would at Christmas, and Poe was the crazy aunt who had too much to drink. He held her close again, then pulled Rey back in. "Okay, I know Finn would faint if he saw you guys, let's go find him." Poe released them and grabbed their hands, pulling them out of the room. 

Mouse couldn't go with them, she stopped at full force, tugging on Poe. She blinked and a moment passed.

"I can't leave him here." She looked back to him, their eyes met, and she knew he didn't want to be left alone. 

"Mouse, we're going to see Finn, we'll be right back." Rey let go of Poe and tried to usher her to the door, it didn't work.

"You go, I don't feel right about leaving him here like this." She stepped away from them and towards Kylo.

"Wait, are we talking about the same person here, you're staying here, with Kylo Ren? Are you insane?" Poe interjected in the rudest way, but it was a strange notion to be mentioned when Poe hadn't heard from them at all. 

"Rey, you catch him up, with everything that's happened, but I'm going to stay here. Feel free to lock the door behind you, since I'm a prisoner and all." She gave a shrug and a small glare to Poe. She turned her back to them, and untied Kylo.

"Lyssandra..." Rey only used her name when she was being unreasonable, but Mouse didn't think she was so she ignored Rey. 

They left and did lock the door. Mouse wasn't serious about it, but she didn't expect them to fully trust Kylo. They didn't have reason to, not at the moment. 

"You didn't have to do that... I would have been fine." Kylo murmured softly, as her fingers unraveled the binds. 

"Yes, I did. If I didn't know you like I do, and I found out you were on a Resistance base, I would have come and killed you. Which is probably what's going on in a lot of people's heads right now. I can't let people have their way with you." She sat beside him and gave a cheap smirk as he massaged his wrists. "As dumb as it sounds, you're too important right now, well to me. And Rey, as much as she despises you." Mouse noticed the look on his face. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'What'?" He tried to erase the idea in her head.

"You know what I mean, what's that look for?"

"What look?"

"The look you made when I mentioned Rey."

"I didn't make a look."

"You totally did."

Silence.

"I don't want her to despise me." His cheeks tinted to a slight hue of pink. 

"Well, I don't know how you're going to change that. Oh wait, I do." His ears perked up as if he was a puppy.

"How? What do I do?"

"You peabrain, we're already on our way to doing it. He made you do everything she despises you for." She didn't understand how he was such an intimidating icon in the galaxy, he was so oblivious.

"Are you sure she won't despise me afterwards?"

"Maybe not as much, it would depend on what you decide to do afterwards. Which is something we have to talk about too." 

"Why would we need to talk about that?" He didn't want to think about the future, his main goal was to kill Snoke. 

"Well, I mean... it's no doubt that the New New Republic would want to imprison you and make you stand trials for what you've done." For such a serious topic he didn't understand how she was so calm, cheery even. 

"Then, I run away."

"And how do you expect to at least, be friends with Rey after that? It's no doubt that you wouldn't care about me anymore, but her, I know she'd never leave your thoughts." She stared up at him, and it was making him uncomfortable. He started thinking about his dreams of them, and he didn't want to think of that at the moment. 

"Why do you think I'd forget you?" He did want to know that. She switched everything in his world to the complete opposite of everything he'd been used to. There was no way he could ever forget either of them. He almost wished that they would come with him if he ran away, he wanted to convince at least Mouse to do it.

"I don't think I mean as much to you as she does. Which doesn't bother me, I've never meant much to anyone. But even, just the way I see you look at her, there's something. And I think you should go for it. Or at least try." He gave her a glare, a deathly one. "What?"

"Don't. Don't say that. You don't get to say that. If I didn't care about you in the slightest, you would still be lying helpless in that cell after those..." He gripped his fists tight. He wanted to throw something. "As stupid as it sounds, you mean something. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." He breathed and that's all there was for what seemed like forever. He completely disregarded what she said about Rey. She wasn't allowed to talk about herself like that. No one should. Even if he didn't love her, wasn't afraid to lose her, she shouldn't talk about herself like that. "You're more important than you think." Silence again. 

"I can't believe you just went all sappy and meaningful." He dropped his head and couldn't help but bring a pull to his lips. 

"I suppose, I tried." He let out a chuckle, and her a giggle, then a burst of laughter.  "We should run away together, really though. Would you?" He looked into her eyes, truly wanting her at his side throughout the galaxy. 

"It's a nice offer, but I would want Rey to be with us. Convincing her would be a much harder task. But we can worry about it later. Okay?"

"Okay." The waiting game began. The wait for Rey, and Poe to come back for them, and perhaps let them go. Mouse didn't even know what they might do with them. Mouse could be seen as accomplice now, especially after wanting to stay with him rather than leave him in the cell. She searched and searched for Rey, but it was almost as if she had blocked her out. She could feel everyone but her. 

"Tell me about her." The break of silence startled her. She tilted her head. "The one you dream about. Not Rey, the one who looks like you." He mused to the door, wanting to hear her voice, maybe even her story-telling voice. Mouse never mentioned her, but she occupied her thoughts quite often. 

Mouse was completely taken by surprise. She didn't think Kylo would want to talk about anything really. He didn't usually, he wanted silence for most of their time together. She never really listened, but it was odd he wanted her to talk, for once.

"She was my sister. Her name was Dimah, she died a couple of days before you all found me." Mouse hadn't talked about her in ages, she didn't really know what to say. 

"She was your reason for Awakening?" He kept his gaze on the door. He didn't really want to hear her talk about the woman, but he needed distraction. He sensed that the General was near and it was driving him directly to the edge. 

"That's what Luke said, back when I met him." Mouse picked up immediately that he didn't really want to hear it. She punched him in the arm. "Don't trick me into thinking you actually care about my previous life." She pouted and glared at nothing.

"There's nothing getting past you." He smirked, thinking about her pout. There that feeling was again. The thoughts of her and Rey. It was twice in one day that the unclean thoughts had brewed about in his archive of thoughts. His mind was taking in too much. The General, the girls, Snoke, the future. It was too much Light, and too much Dark, trying to merge together. He needed to distance himself, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to dwell in the darkness until he was stable. It was becoming an overload, he couldn't distance himself, she should have gone with them. why did he think he wanted her there with him, alone? He felt the anger boiling in the pits of his stomach, the thoughts of the girls twisted, along with the emotions that swirled together all at once. The girls fists had met each others' bodies without remorse, the forest was engulfed in a sea of blazes. The flames had spread into their irises, hatred had fueled them. It wasn't how he wanted to see them. 

Mouse was still caught in a pout when she had finally noticed that Kylo's breathing had changed. He was crouched over, like an animal feeding on it's catch. It didn't even seem like he was breathing anymore, growls had served as his inhale and exhale. She whispered his name, just loud enough for it to reach his attention. He twitched at the sound of her voice, it set him off. His neck craned in her direction, so slow and paced, it was like a possessed doll from and 80's horror flick. His barred his lips and stared deeply into her eyes. Her eyebrows knitted closer in the slightest, his bloodshot eyes sent rushes of angst up her back. She'd never seen him so ablaze. She was nervous on how to handle the situation. She would fight him if it came to it, but how would that look to the Resistance?

"You better quit it right now."

The sound that erupted from the depths of his volcanic stirs, could send adults screaming down the hallways.

"Or what?" Her words struggled to surface, she didn't even know if she had a sentence ready to say. She maintained eye contact. 

"What good is having a tantrum gonna do for us in here? It would be a great thing to do if you wanted to completely fuck up our chances of being free. What do you want more? To rot in this cell, drown in a pool of self-pity, or to one day be free?" Her breath trembled, she wasn't scared of him, she was scared for him. If he laid a hand on her she knew it was game over and they would never let him go. She didn't want to play tricks on him because he would just retaliate. No matter what she thought of she knew there was going to be an explosive reaction. 

None of the words seemed to get past his skull, he could sense Ben deep down, begging him to agree with her and cut it out. Kylo didn't know if he was capable of calming down, his thoughts might have taken him too far. He suddenly felt the need to throw up. His stomach kept hurling but nothing would come up. He suddenly couldn't breathe. 

"I need y-" His train of thought came to a complete halt, and tipped over off of the tracks. He felt himself lose balance from the chair, his shoulder hitting the floor, rolling to his back. He saw her following him to the ground, arms reaching out to him, her eyes wide with panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I keep losing the time to update this. And I apologize for all those who are actually interested in seeing where it goes. I hope you're all doing well, and thanks for reading (:


	20. Chapter 20

The walk out of the cell became immediately awkward after Poe had locked the door behind them. They turned their backs on it in an instant. They pushed themselves not to think about it, but had only made it about halfway down the hall before it had bit too hard at their conscious.

"What happened to her? What's he done to her?" Poe came to a full halt and grabbed onto Rey's arm. He deserved to know. After Rey had been caught, Finn and Poe could barely speak to each other. They knew that if they had gone with her to wherever she went, it wouldn't have happened the way that it did. For the time being, they had gotten separate dorms, Finn had started doing runs with other crews, while Poe had dropped everything. Poe was alerted when the Upsilion was seen amongst the stars, and immediately took action. He went to the Control Room and immediately got on a radio, telling the crews what to do. So in the simplest terms, Poe caught them, but wasn't on-site. He didn't feel like gloating as he usually would, he had a mission to get those girls back, and he would have done whatever it took to get answers. He got more than he had ever hoped for. But girls were very hard to read, and he needed Rey's help to understand what was going on in Mouse's head.

"I don't really know. It's been very hard for me to wrap my head around what they have going on. I haven't had time alone with her, in forever." Rey's mind was becoming clouded. She remembered how she felt towards Kylo, how she hated the thought of him, never wanted to talk to him, but was forced to. For the sake of Lyssandra. She just wanted to be with her, and she left her behind with him. She didn't know what to feel, she would rather be with Kylo than her. But the thing was, she understood why she stayed with him. She just felt like a jerk, and wanted to go back and apologize. However, she was mad at her, but she missed her. "I miss her, Poe. I just want her to be here with us. But if she left him alone, who knows what would have happened to him." She felt her eyes watering up, she was acting child-ish but she couldn't think of another way to let her feelings out. Poe calmed down, and pulled her close.

"Rey, we're gonna figure this out. I just can't express how grateful I am that you two are all right."

They had a bit of trouble locating Finn, so they just went to get something to eat in the meantime. Rey missed the care that was given in the Resistance, it was a luxury that she would never be able to return the favour to. They sat down with their trays, and Rey began unravelling the tale. The expected treatment from the Order, and the unexpected actions from Kylo Ren. She told him of Lyssandra's assault with the troopers, their planning process to overthrow the Order. She had told him every little detail that they had established in their weeks of planning. She told him about Ilum, and the crystals. He told her where they had been confiscated to and that they would go and get them later. He admitted that it was all his doing, the hacking, and his orders to 'tag 'em and bag 'em' as he liked to call it. They just sat there and chatted until they would hear from Finn. It was nice to finally have someone to talk to. They both felt that way. Especially, when it had been weeks. Eventually, Poe came clean about what happened with his relationship with Finn. Rey didn't know how to react, she didn't think they would be that torn up about it. She had hoped that they would get back on good terms when Finn knew that they were all right. She took a swig of her vitamin juice and spit it out all over the table.

She didn't realize that because she was mad at her, she was blocking out Mouse entirely, it had become a natural reflex being around Kylo so much lately. Rey had built walls against Mouse that she didn't even know she had. But once she had talked it out with Poe, they came down, and she felt the chaos in the cell. She choked while she saw what was going on through Mouse's eyes. She was distraught and her mind was a fiery mess. She needed to go to her. She jumped from the table bench and sprinted so fast out of the cafeteria and through the building. Poe excused himself and Rey, and ran after her calling out to her, in efforts to find out what in the world was going on.

He followed her all the way to the cell at her pace, breathless, and still confused.

"You have to let me in, Mouse needs help in there." She looked to Poe and prayed that he would understand.

Poe opened up the cell to find Kylo's unconscious body, with Mouse kneeling at his side. Rey rushed to Mouse immediately. She couldn't believe what she had done. Mouse screamed that he needed Medical Officers to help him. It didn't take long for them to enter the cell. They immediately got to work. They assessed Mouse, even though nothing appeared to be wrong with her, but ignored Kylo. They left him on the ground and gave their undivided attention to Poe and Mouse. Rey might have understood why, but he needed help, if anything was going to go the way the wanted it to, they needed him alive and well.

"Poe, he needs help." Mouse looked to the officers, "Why won't you help him?" She looked between all of the faces in the room, Poe's, Rey's, the Officers.  

"Mouse, I think it's pretty obvious why he isn't being helped right now." Poe didn't make eye contact with her, but just stared away from the scene.

"Rey?" Mouse looked up to her, her eyes welling up with tears. "Please, we have to help him. Please..." Her voice trailed off and she looked back down to Kylo, she needed him alive. They needed to understand that.

"Poe, she's right. After everything I've told you, you have to understand that he's important in this. And I'm sure the General would agree." Rey understood, her thoughts finally became a little bit clearer. She didn't want to fight anymore, not against the Order, or with Poe, or Finn. They all needed to work together, and for a reason she didn't know, it took her forever to realize that. They both stared at Poe, hoping he would understand how much bigger everything was, compared to how small they were. With a moment of thought, and possibly a regretted sentence, he gave in.

"Officers, tend to this man." He looked away from them while he said it.

"Sir, with all due resp-"

"Just get it done. You want to answer to me or the General? It's really up to you." They reluctantly began to tend to Kylo Ren. His temperature had sky-rocketed, possibly still under the influence of the drugs that the Resistance had distributed amongst them. They continued to ask Mouse what happened to try and get some information as to why he would pass out. The drug wasn't known to have that side effect. They pulled him onto a stretcher and wheeled him out of the room, Mouse following close behind.

She told them about how she didn't think it was the drug. Everybody knew he had a temper, it had become too overwhelming, and his system gave out. She continued to explain further, even when they had stopped asking her questions. She followed them into the room.

"So, what's going to happen to him? Is he going to be all right?" She stared up at them with her arms crossing her chest. She wasn't getting the answers she was hoping for. But then she thought of how much she was talking and how they weren't at all. She wasn't getting any answers from them.

"He appears to be stable, but until we know for sure, we're going to rehabilitate him." The two wheeled him into the small room, and hooked him up to the machines, and strapped all of his limbs down. Mouse wasn't surprised, she didn't do anything to stop them. He was out of the cell, and she was the only one who trusted him. They didn't ask her to leave, so she stayed by his side. She looked around the room some more. There seemed to be a one-way window, she didn't know if anyone was on the other side, but she didn't care just yet. There was a window looking out to the tree line, the room was still being illuminated by the sun. She took the seat next to the bed, and the officers had finally finished whatever needed to be done in securing him. They took a step back and looked down to Mouse, sitting there staring at him. She'd hope he would recover well from whatever happened back there.

"Miss, this is just for precaution." She whipped her head around to find one of their hands around her wrist. She immediately pulled away and tried to wriggle her hand free. It didn't work very well. She wasn't prepared for the grip he had on her. He pulled a pair of cuffs, and ignited the charge on her arm, and put the other cuff against the railing on the hospital bed.

"Considering how much time you've spent with him, there's reason to believe that you will need rehabilitation as well. Good day." The men stalked out of the room without another word or glare for that matter. It all happened so fast, that Mouse wasn't even sure that it really happened. She didn't even know what happened to Rey or Poe, she thought they were following her. She was just so focused on Kylo. She tugged and tugged, but the more resistance she pulled against it, it would tighten, and shock her. She didn't even know what to think, the day had just been too much. Hanging her arm, she fell asleep almost instantly in the confined little chair, listening to him breathe next to her.

 

"I never thought I'd see anything like this. What happened to her? She looks awful, did he do this to her?" The General stood weary on the other side of the window, watching the two sleeping next to each other. It was just Poe in the room with her. Rey wasn't allowed to see them yet. There were too many variables in things that could go wrong. The General didn't understand why they were left unsupervised in the first place. However, things had finally turned out. She could see the face of her son, without him having to see hers. However, the girl looked just awful, she didn't want to believe it was his doing, but what other possibilities could there be?

"From my understanding, they've become acquaintances. Working together to commit a mass betrayal. Quite recently, she was attacked by the First Orders' hand, but not his own. Rey tells me that she was still healing when they were finally allowed to see each other." Poe answered the questions accordingly, hoping that she would accept his answers.

"I wonder how she did it. How she managed to get him to overcome the Dark Side. At least enough not to kill her for answers." She thought aloud. She wasn't expecting an answer from him. She wanted to talk to the girl, but she didn't feel that the time was right. Not yet anyways.

"General, I believe it's time to speak to Rey, she has a lot to share on the matter."

"Have her meet me in my office first thing tomorrow morning. They need rest, all of you for that matter." She dismissed him, but stayed herself. She couldn't stop staring at the face of her son. She didn't forgive 'Kylo Ren' for murdering her husband. But she forgave Ben, she always would.

 

Mouse woke up to the shaking of the bed. She lifted her head to find a red-faced Kylo, struggling against the restraints. His eyes met hers after she had rubbed them with her available arm. He saw only the one hand, then looked as if his eyes were going to bulge out of his sockets.

"Don't tell me..." Mouse could only give him a confused look. She didn't know why he was looking at her like that, but her brain wasn't fully operational at the moment.

"What are you talking about?"

"I didn't... Did I hurt you?" His breathing shallowed and shortly became a hyperventilation.

She lifted her arm as high as the cuffs would let her, but made her hand visible. She assumed that was what he was referring to and sat up, becoming familiar with her surroundings again. He gave a sigh of relief and relaxed for a moment.

"If I had laid a hand on you, we would have lost everything." A weight had lifted from his chest, and he took a deep breath.

"Well, I'm sure they would have believed me if I knocked you out in self-defense. I should've sold that story instead." She was glad that at least one person felt the fear she did. She figured even though everything was on fire in his mind, her message had still gotten through to him in the end.

"How long have we been here? And why are you even here?" He looked over to her slowly, the neck restraint was capable of rope-burn.

"I don't know, I fell asleep, and they see me as an accomplice. So, I'm not trusted here." She looked down to the ground. She was slightly ashamed with herself. The last time she was on the planet, people had been cheering her on, welcoming her with open arms. And now, she was being bound, thrown behind locked doors. So much had changed that it had begun to create a stone in her chest.

"Welcome to the club." Was all he could say to her. He knew what it felt like. To be mistrusted in a place where you were supposed to feel safe. An unwanted memory lurked onto his train of thought. He wanted to shove it away, but he felt Ben take the reigns.

"Can I... Tell you something?" Ben wanted to tell somebody, it was something they've always kept to themselves.

"If you really want to. I'll actually listen, unlike you." She smirked for a moment but gave him her undivided attention. He ignored her side comment, and forced himself to begin.

"I'm sure you've been told this before, but Skywalker... Luke. He attempted to train me in the ways of the Jedi. As obvious outcomes, it didn't go very well. But he tried. So anyway, I did learn a lot from him. Some things I still use today. But that's not the story." He became hesitant. He became unsure if he actually wanted to tell her of where it all started. It was too late. He looked into her eyes, and he knew that she would find out the rest of the story, even if it didn't pass his lips. "I was very alone, no one liked me. The other learners often bothered me by telling me how unfair my treatment was to everyone else." He swallowed his pride and pushed on. "Although, Skywalker didn't treat me any differently from any one else, they believed the only reason I was there was because I was his nephew. Reason being, I was very far behind. I was the same age, but the force resisted me in my early years." He continued to tighten his fists and then unfurl them to ease himself, but they just kept tightening back up as he continued to talk. "They would gang up on me, and play the mind tricks they had learned, I was their guinea pig. When I was that young kid, I tried to go to my uncle for help. Looking to him as both my uncle and teacher. And he refused me in both ways." He felt his cheeks become hot, the color blooming, he closed his eyes and did his best to push on. "That's when I had realized that no one had really ever cared for me. My parents sent me off to him, and they couldn't have been happier about it, and Luke just pushed me away, and degraded my spirits just as much as those other kids. If not, more." He paused. Reminded himself to take deep breaths. "I accepted my position as the odd one out, but it gave me the freedom I needed to explore, in order to be who I am today." He had never spoken the words aloud. It felt a little relieving. He didn't really care if she was listening. It was for his personal gain. But to his surprise, she spoke.

"What happened from there?" He couldn't be happier that she had asked that question.

"I killed them. I killed them all." She didn't expect a different answer, but she wanted to hear the words. "I didn't meet Snoke until word had spread of what I did. Neglect, and Hatred led me to the Dark Side. Never Snoke." He opened his eyes, and his fists unfurled and remained open. "Everyone believes that I was his prized pupil who had found a new Master and that I turned on him in exchange for more power. Sure, the power was nice. But I wanted to turn on him so he could see what he had done to me." The silence had filled the room. Neither spoke for some time, but eventually, it had gotten too loud.

"So, you just wanted to punish Luke? Is that all there was to it?" She did want to know more, but she wasn't sure of how much he was willing to share.

"He was one of the few people I wanted to punish. He played a part but that definitely wasn't all of it. You see, I punished my father for being the deadbeat he was, by ridding the universe of him. When my saber struck through his body, I've never felt more in control." He thought back to the exact moment, when the Darkness had reminded him of what he needed to do. "In that event, I punished my mother as well. I never really wanted to hurt her, but she needed her fair share of pain, and that's what I had given her in that moment. I took away the two things she had ever loved. Han and Ben." And at that, everything to know about Kylo Ren was out in the open. That's all there was to him. Once Ben had first felt the Dark Side run it's course through his veins, Kylo abused him to the point where Ben barely existed. Kylo shoved him away in the back of his mind, but he would sometimes break down the door and try to take back control. It never worked, until now. Ben was in control for the moment, but he knew it wouldn't last long. Ben was able to share the story that Kylo never wanted to. But it was to someone they both trusted, and that was the only reason Kylo would ever allow it.

Kylo escorted Ben back to where he belonged until everything was over, and Ben complied, both knowing that he would be back, hopefully soon.

"Thank you, for telling me that. It definitely helps me to trust you even more than I did." She wanted to place her hand on his, a meaningful gesture but it felt like too much. She heard him let out an exhale as a chuckle. He read her mind, and she was just too cute. "Leave me alone."

"I can't help it. It might as well be impossible." He smiled, and stared at her. He sighed and saw Rey in her again.

_Crash._

Both of their heads whipped to the one-way window, there was one hell of a commotion happening on the other side. There was nothing they could do about it. They needed to comply in order to be heard. They just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

 

On the other side of the window, Finn had taken the night shift in surveillance of the two. He had been alone for a couple of hours to think. He was relieved from his gunner position when he had heard that they found Rey and Mouse. He took any work available that involved being around them. He figured it was good work, he would be in on anything that was going to happen. He sat reading a book when Kylo had woken up. He immediately began to struggle, and looked like a fish out of water, fighting against his restraints.

Like everyone else, he was completely taken by surprise at how comfortable and close they were with each other. He didn't like it at all. They way he looked at her, it drove something rancid through his mind. He managed to stay calm, he didn't want to get assigned to anything different. She showed him her cuffs when the door had opened on Finn's end. His head slowly craned, hoping it wasn't the General. To his confusion, it was Poe.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Mind if I join you?" Poe took a small step into the room.

"Not at all." Finn pulled the chair next to him out from under the table. Poe took it hesitantly.

"Anything interesting happen?"

"They just woke up, I'm trying to listen in, in case they give up anything important." Finn went back to what he was doing. Staring intently, and listening closely.

"Roger that." Poe mirrored him, and did his best to concentrate. They listened in the best they could. And tuned in right at the important bit. Kylo began his confession and the two of them began to sweat in anticipation of where it was going to lead.

Finn found himself shaking with anger. Poe couldn't control his twitches. They couldn't believe what they had heard, or the reaction she gave to it. They did their best to snap out of it and continue to listen. But Finn couldn't hold it back anymore when he saw the way he smiled at her. He was never one to have a temper, but when it came to something, or someone he cared about, everyone knew to run. He ripped himself out his chair and proceeded to throw it at the window. When it didn't break, it landed on the table, which he decided to flip. He yelled out in anger, throwing the chair around like a doll. He wanted Kylo's neck between his fists. He couldn't believe how he managed to brainwash someone so good and pure of heart.

"Finn." Was all Poe had to say. It was all that had to be said for Finn to shut down completely. He had forgotten how he said his name. The feelings rushed to Finn's tear ducts, and he couldn't stop himself. He ran into Poe's arms and bear hugged him tighter than he knew he could. Poe embraced him with the same effect, feeling nothing but love.

They missed each other more than they had known. They didn't split because of an argument, they just couldn't look at each other without feeling ashamed. They didn't really want to part, and they tried to make things work, at first. But nothing felt right, and without saying a word, they parted ways. They would see each other in the cafeteria and immediately look away from each other. Some of Poe's friends had started to leave him alone, his mood was too dim for them to deal with, which demonstrated what kind of friends they really were. Poe would find himself alone a lot of the time, trying not to think of old times. Finn continued on with his position, always doing his best to adjust to new pilots and crew. Working with the best and having to downgrade didn't do very well with Finn. He would find himself gaining a temper with the pilot, over shots he could have had, and the ones he couldn't take. He would find himself blowing up a lot. Especially over little things that would normally be nothing to him. No one wanted to hang out with him anymore, but he understood why. They just didn't do well without each other.

"I'm here. We're all here, Finn. I've got you, and I don't plan on letting go again." They held each other for as long as they needed to, which was a very long time. They struggled to let go of each other, they wanted to stay like that forever. Which seemed cliche, but they didn't care. The two of them locked lips, and pulled away after they realized how moist their faces were. They cleaned themselves up and sat back in the chairs, watching the Kylo and Mouse again, they played some sort of memory game, that involved hand gestures and weird faces. Finn still didn't like the idea of them being together like that. He never did show her the scars he still had from him. He thought it might be time to open her eyes to who he really was. Before the two of them knew it, the morning shift was relieving them.

The General had summoned Poe, Finn, and Rey to see her. She figured that there was all sorts of information to come from three different sources. The General needed every aspect, every detail, and without Kylo or Lyssandra, this was the way to do it. She pulled up all of the reports she had containing any information specifically about Kylo, and his whereabouts in the last little while. As well as anything to do with Lyssandra. She briefed herself as best she could before her meeting began. Spending years as the General, she had become magnificent at becoming an expert on something just minutes before she was tested on it. She read about Ryloth where Lyssandra was first kidnapped, Rey's attacks on the First Order outposts, Rey's capture, them being seen on Ilum, their capture, the medical reports on him after his collapse, and Finn's over night report. His report was quite vague so she would ask him about it when they arrived. She felt that she knew everything she needed to in order to hold a good meeting with the three. She slammed back a mug of caf and requested another, and to keep them coming. She was only getting older, and staying awake required a lot more caffeine.

The clock struck 8:30am, and the three let themselves in and took a seat. Right on time.

"Lovely, I would hope this is worth my time. Rey, what do you have for me?" She pointed her way, and began typing away beginning her report. She needed to type everything out or risk forgetting it all.

Rey told her what she told Poe the day before. Keeping her tone professional, her sentences short and to the point. Rey had her share of meetings with the General, if you gabbed on about details she didn't care for, she would move on without hearing the rest. No matter how important. She told her everything that had happened from when she had last seen the General to the meeting the were in at that moment. The General took a couple moments after Rey had finished talking to polish the report.

"Poe, you're on."

Poe spoke about what happened in the cell a bit more than Rey did, when Lyssandra didn't want to leave him alone. He elaborated more on why she did it, which to his understanding was to protect him from and others on the Resistance out to get him. He informed her of the Medical Officers refusing to help him, and how it was his order that had got them to tend to him. He had to let her know that it wasn't his order to cuff Lyssandra to his bed, or to even leave her there. After they had wheeled Kylo away, he pulled Rey aside to talk about what had happened. He needed to remind her of why the Officers would do such a thing. And without his supervision, the Officers locked them in the room.

"All right. Finn, I wanted to speak with you about your overnight supervision report. It's much too vague to qualify as a report. You stated the following: "Subjects carried a very strong conversation of Ren's past." We are talking about Kylo Ren, I need every single detail about this sort of subject. What happened?"

"General, with all due respect, I didn't believe you'd like the topic of conversation." Finn's cheeks deepened with red, his head lowering in the slightest.

"It doesn't matter what I will and won't like. Personal aspects aside, I need to do my job, and in order to do that, I need every single detail. I need to know everything before we interrogate them. When that happens, I will not have a fool made out of me. Do I make myself clear?" She rarely had to bring out the scarily strict side of herself. But the longer they pushed the interrogation away, the more information they could be losing. Time was a virtue, and Finn was pushing it.

"Transparently."

"Good. Now tell me the topic of conversation. I want you to repeat everything." And so Finn did. There were a few moments where both Rey's and the General's jaws dropped. Rey would close hers or cover it with her mouth. The General would take a slug of caf, and carry on her typing. Her eyes became glossy, and her hands shaking. Poe swore he saw a tear fall, but he would never bring it up to her face.

"That'll be all for now, thank you for taking the time out of your schedule's to meet with me." The General stood up and shook their hands before sending them out of the door. As soon as it had closed behind them she fell into her chair, and sobbed. Her rush of tears hitting her keyboard, her caf going cold. She sobbed until 9:30am, and cleaned herself up before her next meeting.

Poe and Finn held hands out of the office, and the three of them went to go get breakfast before Finn had to go to bed. Rey was happy to see them together again. But she was missing her partner-in-action. She did her best to keep positive but it was pretty difficult when she knew that she was okay and on the same planet as her.

The boys went to bed in order to get some sleep for their next shift that night, so Rey had the day to herself. She didn't have the best idea of what to do, so she started off by going for a walk around the base. She decided to do the perimeter, but as she was on the North side, she remembered the hill overlooking the base. Where she had felt Lyssandra's Awakening. She found the place where she sat, pretty thankful it wasn't destroyed in that raid all those years ago. So much had changed, mostly because of her Master. If he had never gotten sick, would they still be on Ach-To? Would they have gone to find Lyssandra together? Would Lyssandra even be in the picture? A lot of questions ran through her head but she decided she would meditate, something she hadn't done in a long time. It was long overdue. She sat as close to her spot as she could, some plants and shrubs had sprouted since then, but she made due. She closed her eyes and opened her mind.

Rey could feel her, in the distance, directly South of her, Rey moved in the direction through her setting. She would call out her name and hope for an answer. She wouldn't get anything back, but she swore she could her something in the wind, a whisper, maybe a soft song. Rey sat and embraced the sun on her skin and the ocean's breeze.

"Rey, I miss you." Rey opened her eyes to see Mouse in front of her. Rey's shoulders dropped in relief. She stood up and hugged her tightly.

"I miss you too, Mouse." She let a tear fall down her cheek, it rolled off of her face and floated away in the wind. "How have you been?" Rey pulled apart, and looked into her eyes. Still the prettiest she had ever seen.

"I've been better, I guess. Not lately, but I mean, we're good. Why didn't you follow us? Why did you leave me with him, again?" Mouse's lip trembled and her voice cracked. They wouldn't have to meet this way if Rey had followed her and protested against her rehabilitation.

"I didn't know they were going to do this to you. Poe just needed to talk to me, and the next thing I knew, it was out Poe's hands to let me see you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen. None of it." Rey looked to the ground in shame. She didn't want Mouse to see her like that.

"I didn't either, but I have to tell you something." Mouse was crying a little bit, but not enough to stop her from what she needed to say. "I don't know how our plans are going to go. But, the General and her party are thinking about executing Kylo. He got back from his interrogation not that long ago. They didn't make any final decisions, but they made it clear that it's on the table. While they have him and all that." Her tone was somber, a tone of hers that Rey hated.

"What? But I told them all the plans we've made. I told them everything." Rey's confusion was too much, it almost pulled her out of the meditation.

"So did I, mine was before his. I don't think they believe us. They don't believe that he's really trying to be free of the Dark. So, we're going to get some sleep, we've been up for quite a while." She let go of Rey's hands that she didn't even know she was holding. "I'll see you soon, I hope." As the words left her lips, she left in the wind, as if she were sand, it carried her back to reality. Rey's mind was too crowded for the meditation to be any help so she pulled out of it. She looked out over the base, and began to sob. She didn't want to be doing anything anymore. She just wanted to go to the life she had with Lyssandra. She didn't want to be with the Resistance or Kylo, Finn or Poe. She just wanted to be away from everything, just exploring the galaxy and all of it's wonders. She sobbed until she fell asleep on the grass, no longer caring where she was. She just wanted to be free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I feel like this chapter was kind of all over the place, but I just wanted it to be productive. I don't know if you guys understand what I mean by that. But I just want to move forward so bad, so here is this mess of a chapter.  
> But, thanks for reading. (:


	21. Chapter 21

Waking up in a cold sweat, Rey rose from under the shrub and trudged her way back to the base. When she had fallen asleep, it was morning, the sun still in it's early hours. It was well after noon when she took shelter in the hangars. It wasn't winter, but it wasn't summer either, Rey wasn't the biggest fan. She pulled herself indoors and went straight to her dorm. She felt hollow, empty, but her mind felt like it was going to burst with all the chaos within. She searched her mind for an answer on what to do with the situations she found herself in, but not even back to her memories with Luke came an answer. She didn't want to sleep, or eat, she just wanted to be away from everything. But there was no way she was going to leave Mouse behind. Even if they left Kylo to die, Mouse wouldn't be the same if she didn't know if he was all right.

It was hours later and Rey found herself staring at the wall, doing nothing. It wasn't even a meditation, she was just staring off into a blank daydream. She didn't know what to do, or what problem to even begin with. She closed her eyes and opened her mind.

In her state, it wasn't helping at first. She decided to just take a moment for herself. Something she wouldn't usually do. She was always busy worrying about others, or working towards others. For the moment, everyone was fine, and she needed to bask in the calm of it all. She reached and reached to achieve serenity, it was resisting her at first, but after acknowledging the well-being of everyone, and admitting to her moment dedicated to herself, she felt the gentle pools flow through the works of her mind. She welcomed the calm streams, letting them consume the harsh thoughts and alter them into a more tranquil approach. It worked wonders through her stress, she swore she could feel some of the knots in her back unfold. Satisfied with the work she had achieved on herself she decided to get to the real work.

She decided to prioritize her problems, ones that could wait, and ones that needed action immediately. It wasn't much but it was something more productive than what she had been doing all day. She put every ounce of energy into figuring out the first problem. How to prevent Kylo from being executed. She was surprised with herself of how she made that her priority without her subconscious protesting. Taking sharp inhales and slow exhales, she focused each breath into a step towards achieving the goal. She had constant variables and equations running through her head, but would have solved by the time she took her next breath. She opened her eyes in her state, taking a short break, she filled her lungs with the ocean air. She continued on with the scheming.

What seemed like hours later, she finally opened her eyes to her dark dorm. _Perfect._ She stretched her muscles the best she could, and dressed in her black attire. She purchased it back when she was the lone vigilante, she was relieved to finally have a use for it again. She attached her WristHolo and silenced any alerts. She figured she'd need it for any surprise calculations. She didn't know exactly how she was going to go through with her plan, but she wasn't going to stop. If it took one night, fantastic. If it took a couple of days, tolerable. If reconnaissance was needed, she was willing to go through with it. But she was confident with the knowledge she had of the Resistance base, but she wouldn't push herself. The hallways had dimmed for the late hours of the night, she kept sharp senses and made her way down the hallways and corridors. She made sure to stay clear of any security cams, she knew there were ones in the Cell Wings, Cafeteria, as well as in the hall of the General's office. If she needed to take a longer route to reach the Medical Block, she didn't hesitate. She assumed Kylo was still under medical supervision, in the room with the One-Way window. She kept her breathing steady, reminding herself to think one step at a time. She also assumed that their room was under cam surveillance as well. About to turn the corner of the hallway, she looked above her to the ceiling, she adjusted her stance, she lifted the tile, moving it just enough for her to fit through. She jumped and lifted herself inside. She pulled the tile back over and crawled her way through the vents. She made sure to crawl accordingly, the building was old, some of the tiles had begun to wear down. If she put too much weight on it would collapse beneath her, it definitely put her speed down pathetically. She pushed on, pausing when someone would walk by, holding her breath when she would hear a conversation in one of the many other rooms. No one could say she didn't work hard for what she wanted.

She finally reached her destination, she peeked through the vent not of the room Mouse and Kylo were in, but the other side. The room they were being watched through. She couldn't quite figure out who was on shift, but she continued on. She worked her skilled fingers on the screws holding the vent in place, slowly removing it, she carried it down to the floor through the force with such grace that she surprised herself. She crawled through the hole in the wall, jumping from the top of the room and landing on the floor without so much as a thump. She'd learned that skill scavenging. She would never know who else was around, she never wanted to find out. Sneaking around had become a virtue of hers.

She kept herself low to the floor, careful not to trigger any of their senses. The two figures kept eyes through the window. Right behind the two, she willed them to sleep. She found they stayed asleep longer the closer you were. She collected the notes they had written about Mouse and Kylo through the shift, she ripped out the recording chip out of the receiver. Thus, claiming every shred of evidence of the night and preventing any further against them. She tucked the chips and the folded notes into the wraps of her attire, and climbed back into the air shafts. She re-attached the vent and continued on.

Rey's plan had originally been to bring a halt all the current evidence being recorded, break them free and leave, but she remembered the evidence that the General had mustered from their meeting that morning. She needed to steal it, otherwise the Resistance would have every right to track them down, but with no records, they would have no grounds. She left Mouse and Kylo in the room for just a little bit longer.

She repeated her process when she approached the hallway leading to the Generals' office. She carefully began to unscrew the vent when she had finally noticed that the General was still in there. Rey's heart skipped a beat, her breath shook in the slightest. She almost blew her cover when her hand slapped over her mouth. She inched herself backwards hoping to make herself less visible. She had to think. She couldn't do the same tricks as the workers before her. Luke had told Rey that the General was Force-Sensitive. She would be able to know what someone was trying to do against her and most likely retaliate. Rey tried to think of any intricate detail about the General that could give her a solution. _Her assistant._ Moving quickly, she hustled herself as quietly as possible to the next room over.

Rey had thought about how much caf the General needed in order to stay awake, she figured if she put the assistant to sleep the General would stop receiving her caf, and go out like a light. Peeking through the vent, the assistant seemed to need as much caf as she did, but Rey put him out of his misery and with a wave of her hand he lay fast asleep, sprawled out in his chair.

Back at the General's office, she would just have to wait her out. A little while later, Rey noticed the clack of her keyboard had become slower and the yawns had become more frequent. Rey stared at the General, waiting for the moment that sleep would take her. When her eyes had finally closed for more than 5 seconds, Rey finally willed her to stay asleep. She maneuvered her way through the office and towards the computer. The tricky part had only begun. Rey was savvy enough with a computer to sift through files, the only thing was, she had to do it next to the General who slept only inches away from her. Rey didn't know how sensitive her slumber would be so she had to be excruciatingly careful. She chose her stance, keeping herself at an appropriate distance not to touch anything, but was able to touch what she needed. Another skill she acquired scavenging.

On the computer, she silently typed "Kylo Ren" and copied any related files onto her WristHolo.  She didn't think that those were all of the related files on the computer. She typed; Lyssandra Birch, First Order, and Star Killer Base. After copying everything, she deleted them from the hard drive, but she still didn't feel like it was everything. She took a deep breath and extended her hand to the General's head. She tried to keep herself as scarce and distant as possible as she sifted through her mind. It didn't take Rey long to find what she was searching for. She typed into the computer "Ben Solo". Rey wasn't surprised at how the General still referenced him to that name rather than Kylo Ren. There was so much more files under that name. She wasn't quite prepared for what she found. Deep in the files, she found pictures of the young Ben Solo. She couldn't stop herself from looking through the rest. The pictures started from when he was an infant, up to the point where she figured that they sent him off to Luke. In the last picture that was recorded, it was of him and his father. It was so unfortunate at how she could tell how uncomfortable he was just by the expression on his face. His face was still a bit chubby, his thick loose curls a few tints lighter than they were when she had first met him. Han Solo looked like it was the best day of his life. He carried a devilish smile, held his hand around his son, but held him too close for Ben's liking. She felt compassion for the boy. Back when Kylo had let Rey look through his memories she came upon his memories with his father, there weren't many, but the nasty thoughts about him remained. Rey copied the single photo to her WristHolo and at that, she had everything she needed. She left the room without another thought, continuing with her plan.

Rey climbed through the vent in the Medical Room they were in to find the two of them fast asleep. Rey fiddled with Mouse's cuffs, and in no time let her hand free. Mouse woke up to her hand being free, her face lit up instantly to the sight of Rey. She jumped up and hugged her tightly.

"I'm breaking you two out, and we're going to prove that we're doing the right thing." Rey whispered to her in the embrace. She felt Mouse relax when she had mentioned the both of them.

"I'm so proud of you." Mouse looked at Rey, hoping to express her statement on her face. Rey updated Mouse on her plan through their connection as they worked on Kylo's binds. Kylo eventually woke up when he had begun to have some freedom of movement. It took him a moment to process what had been going on, but he eventually caught on.

"So, the next step is checking the Upsilion to see if it's still operational, and that will determine if we'll need to steal a ship or not." Rey whispered over her shoulder as the three of them crawled through the vents.

"What about the crystals? We'll need those, otherwise our plan is useless." Kylo muttered under his breath, doing his best to keep up with his rusty muscles. Rey paused to think about that. She had forgotten about them. She would need to call Poe, and it couldn't wait until morning anymore, since she had broken the two of them out. She had done too much to turn back now.

"You two will have to stay in my dorm until I can get them, I can't risk you two walking around without the slightest idea of where you're going." She continued crawling at a faster pace. It was only a couple more hours until sunrise, and by then, the Resistance would be buzzing with life. Then, it would be impossible to leave.

Reaching her dorm, she ushered the two of them in, and followed behind them. She took a quick breath, and called Poe on her Wrist. She made sure to keep the two of them out of the frame. A grumbly voice came from the Holo.

"Poe Dameron, what do you want?" Poe didn't lift his head from his bed, his voice muffled through his pillow.

"Poe, it's Rey. I know this is ridiculous timing, but I need the crystals I told you about." Rey tired her best to make herself as convincing as possible. It was a bit hard to keep the truth of what she was doing from him. She wasn't the best liar.

"Now? Rey, I'm sleeping. I have a run tomorrow, can it wait until then?"

"Poe, please! If I told you why I need them so bad, you wouldn't understand. My Jedi training needs it, in order to continue." Rey pleaded to him, and she could see Kylo face palm in the corner of her eye. A groan and a sigh later.

"Okay, but don't expect me to dress up for you, I am coming in my night wear. Meet me in front of the Cafeteria." Poe hung up on her and the Holo disappeared back into the bracelet. Rey looked to the two of them, their faces red from stifling laughter.

"Okay, I'd like to see one of you try." She shook her head but couldn't hide a small smile.

"But let's all agree, I would've been able to do it a lot better, but for obvious reasons I can't." Mouse grinned, and to her predictions, they both agreed. Letting the humour dwindle, Rey began to strip her clothing back to her regular attire. She was too focused on completing her plan to care if anyone looked at her. As soon as he saw unconventional bare skin, Kylo's entire face tinted to a deeper red as she continued changing. He didn't stare but knowing he was in the same room as her as she changed boiled his blood with excitement. He did his best to hide it, but he wasn't very good at hiding anything anymore from Mouse. She noticed but she didn't say anything.

"Okay, I'll be back soon." Rey left with them staring at each other and sprinted to the Cafe.

Poe was leaning against the wall, barely conscious when she got there. She greeted him but he just trudged through the hallways, looking to get it all over with. Rey understood so she just followed him at his pace.

"So this is our lockup, anything that was found on you guys, besides your clothes was stored here." He fumbled with the pad beside the door, punching in the necessary passwords. The door opened and he toddled in. After yawning once or twice, he located the items from that day and tossed her the crystals. "I think that's all that was found on you, everything else was Kylo Ren's, and surely you're not looking for that." He closed the bin back up, and climbed down from the shelf. Rey was about to ask for it, but she realized that it would give her away. Thinking under pressure she waved her hand with all of the regret in the universe.

"You will let me leave this room with whatever I please." Poe straightened up and repeated the will. He stood still, watching her dig through the bin for Kylo's saber, and to her surprise her own saber. She grabbed anything else that she assumed was Kylo's and climbed back down. Exiting the room, Poe closed up and looked to Rey. She figured the trick had run its course so she played another one.

"You will go back to your dorm, forget this happened and go back to sleep." A blink later, he repeated the will and was on his way. She hated herself for doing it, but there was no other way. There was no doubt that everything would lead back to Rey the next day. Poe and Finn would hate her either way.

She reached her dorm, gave Kylo his things, Mouse her crystal and away they went. Making their way to the hangars, they needed to examine the Upsilion before they even boarded it. Rey figured she was the only one familiar. They exited the building and went around to the hangars. Mouse pointed out that it would be easier than taking longer routes through the building. They crept around the buildings, reaching the hangars they kept low, sprinting around, it took forever to find it. Finally locating it, Rey got to work immediately and to her surprise, so did Kylo. Mouse stood lookout, constantly circling the ship, keeping her senses sharp.

"Are you sure you know what you're looking for?" Rey's tone was condescending, a bit mean but Kylo could handle it.

"I know the basics, just enough to take some of the work off your shoulders." Rey shrugged him off, opening the shaft under the cockpit she climbed in, Kylo not far behind her.

Kylo adjusted some of the wire boards so they were aligned in the right sockets, just so they wouldn't get hacked into again. He couldn't believe the mess they found themselves in because of that one slip-up. He held back a growl and continued working. Rey was checking the engines making sure all of the parts were still there. She looked over to Kylo, she figured they should talk.

"So, I heard about the story you shared with Mouse." Rey thought he had a right to know that she knew about it. Kylo looked over to her with a bit of confusion in his eyes, but it eased when he remembered.

"Have you now? I would imagine you feel like you know everything about me now, don't you?" He didn't stop what he was doing, he didn't really want to look at her. He knew they were under supervision, but he didn't think she would ever hear about it.

"I don't think that, but I just wanted to say that I kind of, understand." His head whipped to her so fast, she jumped a little bit.

"I'm sure you're trying to make this a touching moment where we get on mutual terms, but let me tell you that this isn't the way to do it. I really doubt that you're capable of understanding the things I've done in my life-"

"That's where you're not listening. You're confusing the words understanding and relating. Of course, I can't relate to you, but I am capable of understanding the pain you've felt. I can never say I've felt the same, or have been in the situation that's similar, but I understand why you did it." Rey finished up what she was doing, and just stared at him. She wasn't expecting the answer he gave her, but she wasn't having it. Everyone had a story and that was his, but thinking back to the picture she found, she couldn't hold her tongue. Their time with the Resistance was coming to an end, and it changed her in a way that she didn't think was possible. She could see herself being friends with Kylo, she could see herself running away with him. She didn't know where the feelings were coming from, but they were there. She just wanted to start being honest with herself and those around her. She didn't want anymore stress because of it. She finished her overview and jumped out of the shaft.

"Perfect! The sky is just starting to lighten up, and I think I see someone over there, but I don't want to find out." At the sight of Rey, Mouse scurried to the dock and climbed aboard. Kylo followed Rey out, and soon enough they were in the air and out of the system. Rey was unsure of how successful the escape was, so she turned off the WristHolo in case Poe, Finn or the General would try to call her. Kylo made sure that none of the tracking software was on, and Mouse tinkered with Kylo's saber.

"By the way, where are we going at this point in time?" Mouse tried to pull the coverings of the handle off but Kylo yanked it out of her hands.

"I swear, you're like a child." She gave him a glare and pulled out her crystal, running her fingers over the edges. "We are finally going to Moraband. I'm sure Snoke would want a full report on why I've been out of touch for a few days. He will not be pleased." Kylo mused out to the hyperspace designs, his hands behind his back, his hand gripping his saber tight, on the verge of igniting it. He could feel the mood of the ship dim. They weren't ready for his wrath, they never would be. But they couldn't hold back any longer. He would go straight to Moraband and report to him. There were no other options. He definitely didn't look forward to it, he was in his right mind not to. He just feared for the girls.

"At ease, soldier," Mouse stood alongside Kylo, she rubbed his back in a circular motion, hoping to ease his mood a bit. "We can handle this, and even if we couldn't, we have no other option. But we did make the choice to do this, all of us. We can do this." She hoped her words would help him, but it didn't.

"You don't know him like I do. You've seen my scars. I just..." He turned his head away from her, he didn't want to imagine her body to be treated the way his was. "I just need you both to be careful. With everything that we've discussed." He stepped away from her, not looking to her again. He couldn't. The pain and torture he'd either induced or witnessed upon her was nothing compared to what Snoke was capable of. Snoke would be happy to do anything he wanted to them. Kylo just stared out, into nothing. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. He eventually heard her footsteps retract to the back of the ship.

"Do you think that the Resistance has noticed we're gone yet?" Mouse fiddled with her crystal some more, tossing it between hands, reaching for it if she tossed too far.

"They've had to by now, you two were the top priority." Rey itched at her Wrist, wanting to turn it on but she was scared of what might happen.

"So, when we succeed our plan on Moraband, what then?" Mouse finally looking to Rey, she needed a solid answer. "If they're just going to throw us in jail for the rest of our lives then we might as well just join the Dark Side." Mouse didn't know if she was joking, Rey definitely didn't appreciate it.

"Please don't joke about that. But that aside, I don't know just yet. I would imagine we would go back to what we do. Looking for Luke, or just run away from it all. But the Book is in the Resistance's hands, and we still have no leads on him. So, we'll just have to leave it be until we get there."

"That seems fair." Mouse just nodded, she wanted to talk to Rey more, but the timing was just never right anymore. They could never find the time they needed to catch up and just be themselves with each other. They didn't want to talk too much around Kylo in case he felt left out, it was an odd relationship the three of them had grown. The relationship that absolutely no one saw coming. The relationship that was about to make a difference in the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short one, but I'm finally making the progress that I want.  
> Thanks for reading (:

**Author's Note:**

> For now I'm working on this by myself, but have friends working with me for different sections of the story. Such as any fight scenes, or suggestive scenes.  
> I'd love to hear from readers on how it's going. Thanks. (:


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